PALM COAST, Fla. — A 52-year-old elementary school teacher was arrested on Thursday, October 22nd, on two felony child abuse charges. This was the result of investigators coming to the conclusion that he pushed, grabbed and pinned a special needs student against a wall at Wadsworth Elementary School, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO). The school is located in the 4500 block of Belle Terre Pkwy.
Kevin Daniel Adkisson, 52, of Bunnell, was arrested following an investigation into an October 16, 2026, incident involving a student at the school where he was employed as a teacher.
The incident was witnessed by a paraprofessional who immediately reported it to school administrators. Administrators escorted Adkisson off campus and notified the student’s parents and the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF).
Dispute Over Toy Leads to Alleged Physical Abuse
According to investigators, the incident began when two students argued over a toy during free time.
When another staff member attempted to intervene, Adkisson forcefully removed the toy from their hands.
A witness told detectives that Adkisson then pushed one of the students as the child attempted to return to a table.
Adkisson allegedly grabbed the student by the arm in a rough, slinging motion, causing the child’s body to swing through the air.
Investigators said Adkisson yelled at the student, telling him he was acting like a 2-year-old and needed to return to his designated area.
The student became visibly upset and crawled underneath a desk, where he began crying and yelling.
When the student did not follow instructions to come out from under the desk, Adkisson allegedly moved the desk, grabbed the child by the arm and pinned him against a wall, restricting his movement.
According to the witness, the student cried and told Adkisson that he was hurting him and that he could not breathe.
Adkisson eventually released the student, told him he was not hurt and walked away, investigators said.
Student Reports Earlier Incident Involving Teacher
During the investigation, the student also described a previous incident involving Adkisson.
The student told detectives that Adkisson had allegedly struck both sides of his stomach with closed hands, picked him up and placed him at the back of a line after the child skipped ahead of classmates.
The sheriff’s office Major Case Unit investigated the allegations after being notified of the October 16 incident.
Detectives also spoke with a DCF investigator who confirmed receiving a report of alleged physical abuse involving a teacher and student.
Adkisson declined to speak with detectives during the investigation.
Sheriff and Superintendent Respond to Allegations
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly emphasized the responsibility teachers have to protect students, particularly those with special needs.
“Parents entrust teachers to provide a safe learning environment for their children. Some special needs students can be challenging but everyone who works with these children must always keep their cool,” Staly said.
“This is an unfortunate incident, but this should not taint the professional and hard-working faculty and staff, which do an outstanding job with our children. But let me be clear: Abuse of any kind, especially at the hands of a trusted adult, will not be tolerated.”
Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore praised the school employees who reported the incident and said the district was cooperating with authorities.
“I’m proud of our staff for taking action and speaking up in this matter. We will continue to encourage ‘See Something, Say Something’ as a practice for all of our employees and students. Keeping our students safe is everyone’s top priority,” Moore said.
“The situation is one that we take seriously and are currently investigating, as well as cooperating with authorities,” she added.
Moore said the district provides intervention training and support to help employees meet students’ individual needs.
Teacher Charged With Two Counts of Child Abuse
Following the investigation, detectives arrested Adkisson on two counts of child abuse without great bodily harm, both felony charges. His bond was set at $5,000. He was released on October 23rd after posting bail.