MPS paraprofessional charged with child abuse

Name: MPS paraprofessional charged with child abuse
Uploaded: 2025-03-10T21:18:11-05:00
Description: A Milwaukee Public Schools paraprofessional has been charged with two counts of felony child abuse.

MPS paraprofessional charged with child abuse

A Milwaukee Public Schools paraprofessional has been charged with two counts of felony child abuse.

MILWAUKEE - A 62-year-old Milwaukee Public Schools paraprofessional has been charged with felony child abuse.

The accused is Jeffrey McClain. He faces the following charges:

Two counts of physical abuse of a child (intentional causation of bodily harm)
One count of disorderly conduct

Jeffrey McClain

Case details

What we know:

According to the criminal complaint, back in December, McClain was working at Metcalfe School when he hurt a 6-year-old boy while forcing him to sit down. Prosecutors say McClain's nails caused a three-inch laceration to the child's chest.

The student reportedly told a teacher "he did it again."

The day before, he allegedly slapped another 6-year-old boy in the face at the playground, leaving a bruise.

Just last week, investigators say McClain was recorded saying "I'll [expletive] break your jaw."

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Court records also say a teacher informed the school's principal that numerous students reported McClain had punched or choked them and that parents complained their children didn't want to go to school if McClain was in their classroom.

The complaint alleges he would take students on a walk to bribe them to lie about the incidents.

Parents respond

What they're saying:

"It’s never okay to put your hands on someone else’s child or to try to neglect children in any environment," MPS parent Ratina Brown said. "I feel like a lot of times the paraprofessionals are getting sent in from temp services and different places and don’t have the correct training, or even the perfect background to be working with kids.

"Why are you hurting a child? You’re supposed to be teaching them not causing bodily harm to them," MPS parent Dreya House said. "This is your job. If you don’t like the kids you should have found a different profession."