Teacher busted little boy's lip by 'shoving a biscuit' in his mouth while she 'forcefully' held him by the neck: Police

Inset: Debra Robertson (Carroll County Sheriff's Office). Background: The headquarters for the Tennessee school district that Debra Robertson works for as a teacher, which has suspended her (Google Maps).

A Tennessee teacher is accused of "shoving a biscuit" in the mouth of a 4-year-old boy while "forcefully" clutching him by the neck.

Debra Robertson, a teacher for the Hollow Rock-Bruceton Special School District, is charged with assault after allegedly injuring the boy. An arrest warrant obtained by Law&Crime outlines the allegations against her.

"The defendant committed the offense of assault by forcefully holding a 4-year-old male juvenile by the neck/head area and shoving a biscuit in his mouth," the warrant says. "The minor child was visibly distraught after the incident and the minor had a busted lip."

Police say Robertson forced the boy to eat the biscuit on Aug. 28 around 8:30 a.m., according to the warrant. A local judicial commissioner found probable cause for the assault charge on Tuesday and issued an arrest warrant for Robertson.

After her arrest, the Carroll County teacher was booked on a $2,500 bond. A condition of her release was that she not be charged with any new offenses while her case is pending, according to the warrant.

The victim's mother, Anna Townsend, told local ABC and CBS affiliate WBBJ that the incident and its aftermath have been difficult for her and her son to deal with.

"Honestly, it's really difficult to navigate this situation," Townsend said. "I feel like it would be for any parent, but we're being strong for our son."

The director of schools for Hollow Rock-Bruceton Special School District sent WBBJ a statement about the incident, saying:

On Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the Hollow Rock-Bruceton Special School District received notice that a teacher, Debra Robertson, was in the process of being charged with assault. The charge involves allegations of mistreatment of a student who was in her classroom.

The director added that Robertson was "immediately placed on suspension" on the day of the incident and remains suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case.