Louisiana teacher faces felony cruelty charge after admitting to biting 2-year-old student

A day care teacher in Louisiana was arrested for allegedly biting a two-year-old student in the face. The woman reportedly admitted to the crime and now faces felony cruelty charge to a juvenile.

The accused, Heather Marcotte, 28, of Covington, was arrested on Wednesday (1 November), about a week after a complaint was filed by the student's parents with St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office.

Marcotte was also fired by Northlake Christian School following the complaint, local news channel KTLA5 reported.

In the complaint filed by the parents, the student's mother said she noticed bite marks on her son's right cheek when she went to his school to pick him up on 24 October. The school administrator told the mother that her son's teacher told them her mouth accidentally hit the child's face and left bite marks on him.

The administrator also said that the teacher had been terminated following the incident, but the parents reported the sheriff's office and the case was turned over to detectives with the STPSO Juvenile Crimes Division.

During questioning, Marcotte admitted to biting the toddler after becoming frustrated and agitated with his behaviour, the sheriff's office said.

Marcotte is currently in police custody at the St. Tammany Parish Jail. It was not clear if she has a lawyer, Associated Press reported.

Northlake Christian School, where the incident took place, reportedly said that they take children as young as six weeks old. Their website says it is a "special place where your child will be loved and nurtured".

Monty Fontenot, head of the school, declined to comment on the issue and only said: "We've handled it internally and there's no further comment."