On January 10, 2025, the Kinston Police Department was notified of an assault on a 6-year-old child by LCPS Central Office . Officers spoke with the child's parents, who had been informed of the incident by Northwest Elementary School. The officers were told that the child's substitute teacher, Martha Jones (69, of Kinston), had hit their child.

After conducting an investigation, detectives obtained a criminal summons for Jones, charging her with assault on an individual with a disability. On January 16, 2025, the Kinston Police Department served the summons.