School counselor arrested, charged with assaulting 10-year-old student in Middleborough

A school counselor was arrested and charged Friday in Middleborough after he allegedly struck a 10-year-old student across the face and pushed the child into a door. 

Steven Adamec, 50, of Attleboro was charged with assault and battery on a child with injury, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, threat to commit crime/solicitation of a crime, and assault and battery on a person with intellectual disability, according to Middleborough police.

Police said officers responded around 3:43 p.m. on Friday to the READS Collaborative at 44 Bedford Street after receiving a report that a school employee had assaulted a student. The Collaborative works across more than dozen districts providing therapeutic services and educational programming for students with emotional or social challenges and children who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing.

An initial investigation determined that Adamec, an adjustment counselor, struck a 10-year-old student across the face following an argument, police said.

“Police subsequently determined that Adamec dragged the student by the arm and pushed him into a door while escorting him out of a classroom,” police said. “Adamec then used his left hand to strike the student across the side of their face.”

Adamec was arrested at the school on Friday and arraigned Monday in Wareham District Court. 

Dina Medeiros, executive director of the READS Collaborative, said in a letter to parents on Friday that the staff member involved in the Friday incident no longer works for the organization. 

“I want to assure you that this individual’s actions are not representative of the caring and compassionate READS staff,” she wrote.