Man accused of assaulting two 7-year-old children at New Hampshire elementary school

MANCHESTER, N.H. — A New Hampshire man is under arrest for allegedly shoving two elementary school children to the ground.

William O’Connell, 24, of Allenstown, New Hampshire, turned himself into police on Wednesday night after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest. He is charged with felony second-degree assault and simple assault.

Manchester Police say O’Connell was a behavior technician employed by Applied ABC and the two assaults occurred at the Parker Varney Elementary School on the same day but at different times.

According to witnesses, O’Connell threw a 7-year-old boy to the ground and the child sustained facial injuries. In the second incident, officials say he put a 7-year-old girl on the floor in a “hard manner” but she wasn’t injured.

Manchester Public Schools said this is the second such incident they’ve had with an employee of Applied ABC.

“The allegations are troubling enough, but especially so given that this is a second set of allegations involving employees of this company,” a spokesperson for the school department said. “We are reviewing the status of our agreement with this vendor, and we have made it clear to the leadership of Applied ABC that the alleged behaviors are unacceptable. They have taken immediate steps, including additional training, and increased support and oversight for their employees.”

The department also added, “The health and wellbeing of students in our district is paramount, and we will continue to work closely with Applied ABC to ensure that its staff are meeting our expectations for student safety.”

On December 22, 69-year-old Louis Efstathiou, a behavioral therapist who worked for Applied ABC, allegedly assaulted a 7-year-old student causing injuries to his face.

“Immediately upon being notified about the incidents, school officials removed both Applied ABC workers from their jobs,” Superintendent Jennifer Chmiel Gillis wrote in a letter sent home to parents. “They have not and will not return. We have also added a new, immediate layer of daily oversight in each school, which will be led by an in-school member from the District office. That person will work closely with each school principal to meet daily with contracted special education workers to assess all activity and report back all findings.”

In a statement, Applied ABC said they have a zero-tolerance policy for any improper behavior towards children:

Applied ABC immediately notified the proper authorities and terminated the employee as soon as we learned of the reported incidents. Our rapid response helped ensure that Child Protective Services were notified and that all relevant details were shared as quickly as possible. Our agency has a zero-tolerance policy for any and all improper behavior towards children. Due to student confidentiality, we are unable to provide additional details on this matter.

O’Connell was released on personal recognizance bail pending his arraignment in March.

Manchester Public Schools expects to have an update on the investigation Thursday night.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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