Wednesday, September 20, 2017
BOARDMAN
A township woman is in jail after a Boardman schools bus driver and aide reported seeing the woman beating her 11-year-old special-needs daughter.
The bus driver reported the incident to the Center Intermediate School administration, leading police to get involved. A few hours later, Shermelle Tindell, 28, of Cook Avenue was arrested on charges of domestic violence and endangering children. The endangering-children charge is a felony.
According to a police report, the bus driver and aide told police they witnessed Tindell and her daughter “scuffling in the driveway” as the bus pulled up to their residence. The report describes the girl as having multiple disabilities.
The aide told police she saw Tindell punch the girl in the head, causing the child to fall to the ground. While the girl lay on the ground in the fetal position, Tindell “continued punching her and then began kicking her,” according to the report.
The aide reported she then saw Tindell grab the girl’s head and begin “banging it on the pavement.” The aide also said she heard the girl screaming at Tindell to stop, but Tindell continued beating her.
The aide got off the bus to help the child. Later, a school nurse examined the girl, who reportedly suffered an injury to her left eye. According to the report, the girl told the nurse her leg was sore due to Tindell’s boyfriend “spanking her before her mother hit her.” The girl also told a teacher the man “hits her often,” according to the report.
School district officials said the bus driver and aide followed the right protocol in responding to the incident.
“As a district, the safety of our students is always our top priority,” said district spokeswoman Amy Radinovic. “Every employee in the district, it’s all of our responsibility to make sure the kids are protected and stay safe.
“The bottom line is, everybody who works for Boardman is going to do whatever it takes to make sure our kids stay safe and are taken care of,” she added.
Jennifer Kollar, a spokeswoman for Mahoning County Children Services, confirmed the agency is involved with the case. She said police found grounds to remove the child from the home, leading children services to get involved. The child has been placed with relatives.
Tindell appeared Tuesday in Mahoning County Area Court, where her bond was set at $10,000, cash or surety. She remained in the Mahoning County jail late Tuesday. She is scheduled to be back in court Oct. 17.