77-Year-Old Volunteer Teacher Arrested After Striking Young Student in Altercation Over Pokemon Cards
A 77-year-old volunteer teacher at Jerry Lee Faine Elementary School in Dothan, Alabama was arrested following an altercation with a student under 10 years old on August 31, 2026. Oscar Truitt Jr. reportedly struck the child during a dispute over Pokémon cards, according to a statement from Dothan Police Chief William E. Benny. School resource officers responded to reports of the incident, and surveillance camera footage corroborated accounts of the teacher striking the student. Truitt was charged with harassment in connection with the incident. The circumstances that escalated the Pokémon card dispute to physical contact have not been detailed in available reports.