MIDDLEBORO – A former employee of READS Collaborative Academy, an academic program  for children with disabilities in Middleboro, allegedly assaulted a ten year old student at the school, according to a press release from the Middleboro Police Department.

Middleboro police responded to a call from the school on Friday, Nov. 17 at 3:43 p.m., according to the press release, and then subsequently arrested and charged a 50 year old man from Attleboro, Steven Adamec with “assault and battery on a child with injury” among other charges. The press release did not specify what the student’s injuries were. 

Adamec had worked as an Adjustment Counselor, according to the press release. Adamec was also charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, threat to commit crime/solicitation of a crime and assault and battery on a person with intellectual disability.”

According to the press release, Adamec allegedly “struck a 10-year-old student across the side of their face following an argument” and “dragged the student by the arm and pushed him into a door while escorting him out of a classroom.” Adamec then allegedly “used his left hand to strike the student across the side of their face.”

READS Collaborative released a statement on their website on Monday, Nov. 20 regarding the alleged incident.

 "I want to assure all of our families that READS staff responded immediately and appropriately to this incident ensuring all parties were notified,” Executive Director Dina Medeiros wrote in the statement.

"The READS staff member involved in this incident no longer works for READS Collaborative as of November 17, 2023. We are fully cooperating with the police investigation."