Harrison County teacher faces felony charges for abuse of special ed students
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Judge found probable cause and authorized three arrest warrants for teacher.
- Surveillance footage shows alleged physical abuse of three autistic students.
- Two assistants face misdemeanor charges for failing to report suspected abuse.
A judge found probable cause for a lower court judge to issue a warrant for the arrest of a Lyman Elementary School teacher accused of felonious abuse of three special needs children — two boys and one girl — ranging in age from 6 to 8 years old.
All three children are autistic and two are nonverbal, Harrison County prosecuting attorney Herman Cox said. Cox questioned the Gulfport Detective Sgt. Ben Ford during the hearing.
Judge Lisa Dodson determined there was probable cause to charge Heather Lea Jennings, 47, with the felonious crimes, each charge of which carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, after hearing evidence in the case from a Gulfport police officer in Harrison County Circuit Court.
State law requires a probable cause hearing in cases where teachers are accused of a crime to determine whether there is evidence of a crime in order to protect them from any frivolous or potentially unsubstantiated charges.
The investigation began when officials noticed Jennings was not filing her required daily reports for the individual special education students.
Gulfport police then began an investigation that included reviewing classroom surveillance video.
During that review, the Gulfport police officer testified that he observed 31 examples of alleged suspicious behavior on behalf of Jennings against the three victims.
However, Cox pointed out that the video surveillance footage that was reviewed only covered the three weeks of footage that is stored in the system.
At the hearing, the officer investigating the case provided one example of an alleged crime committed against each of the three alleged victims., all occurring in April.
In one video, the officer testified that Jennings was seen grabbing one of the little boys by the ear and popping him on the head, causing the child to cry and scream in pain.
In another instance, the video shows Jennings allegedly angered after the second boy touched some Christmas lights in the classroom, allegedly grabbing the boy’s hair on his head and yanking his head back, resulting in physical pain for the child.
In a third incident, the officer recounted how video showed the little girl grabbing something on a table, angering Jennings, and resulting in her allegedly grabbing the girl by the arm and pulling her across the table before bending the child’s fingers back, also resulting in pain to the child.
In response to some of the children’s cries, the investigator noted that Jennings told them to “shut your mouth” and “stop screaming.”
Because the children are considered vulnerable persons under state law, the alleged actions meet the standard for felonious abuse or battery of a vulnerable person, a 20-year felony if proven to cause physical pain or injury.
After reviewing the evidence, Judge Dodson ruled there was probable cause for the charges and signed an order authorizing a lower court judge to issue arrest warrants for Jennings.
Justice Court Judge Diane Ladner then issued three felony warrants against Jennings—one for each child. Jennings was jailed just before noon Wednesday. Her bond is set at a total of $300,000.
In addition to Jennings, the judge ruled that two assistant teachers who allegedly witnessed some of the alleged crimes are facing charges of misdemeanor failure to report the alleged child abuse as part of their requirements as mandatory reporters for the state.
Attorney Josh Johnson is representing Jennings in the case.
The Sun Herald reached out to the Harrison County School District for comment, but has not heard back.
This story was originally published October 29, 2025 at 12:26 PM.
