Thomas Washburn, 54, a teacher at Adams Elementary School, was arrested Wednesday when the incident reportedly occurred. Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that Washburn has since been released from jail as he awaits his court date.
Police said something upset Washburn, who started shouting in the classroom filled with more than two dozen youngsters.
“She told me yesterday that he was really aggressive – telling them to shut up – real aggressively,” said Israel Gonzalez, whose daughter was also in Washburn’s class but is not the victim in this case.
The outburst frightened the victim and she hid her face in the top of her shirt, officers said.
The victim’s mother said her daughter was born prematurely and is “developmentally delayed,” according to a police report.
Officers said Washburn told the girl to take her face out of the shirt and when she did not comply, he went to her and completely removed her shirt, leaving her naked from the waist up in front of her classmates for about 10 minutes.
