Gwinnett Schools employee accused of hitting child with autistism Former educator accused of hitting child A Gwinnett County mother claims the behavior of her son, who has been diagnosed with autism, has worsened following a physical encounter with a former school employee. GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A former Gwinnett County Public Schools employee faces simple battery charges for allegedly hitting a student. The child's mother said the incident drastically changed her son's behavior and cost her family a significant chunk of money, but the accused's attorney said she disciplined the boy "in good faith." Kim Steele's son Darien was 6 years old in 2019 when the Cooper Elementary School principal told his mother that a paraprofessional hit her son on the head.