Retired Mason County Teacher Charged with Abusing Disabled Child

Parents place enormous trust in their children’s teachers and school staff. Each school day, those educators are obligated to provide a safe learning environment for all children. This is not without challenges, especially for children with special needs.

However, those challenges are not an excuse to break the law and put the child in harm’s way.

This is allegedly what happened at the Point Pleasant Primary School when a teacher crossed the line and caused harm to a disabled child.

Recently retired teacher Blythe Powell has been charged with two felonies and one misdemeanor stemming from an offense that occurred on or about September 10th, 2025. The first felony charge accuses Powell of unlawfully and intentionally making physical contact and/or causing physical harm to a disabled child.

The second felony count is assault of a disabled child. That allegedly involved Powell placing the disabled student in some form of apprehension that led to violent injury. The final charge is related to unlawful restraint.

When the allegations were made known to authorities, an investigation was conducted, which led to the charges being presented to a grand jury.

“Our teachers are entrusted with the safety and dignity of the children in their care.  The allegations in this matter — that a teacher used unlawful physical force against a vulnerable, protected student — are deeply concerning.  When evidence shows that a line has been crossed from discipline to criminal conduct, this office has a duty to act, regardless of the profession or position of the accused,” said Prosecuting Attorney Seth Gaskins to WOWKTV.

“The decision to present this matter to a grand jury was made only after a careful and thorough evaluation of the investigation presented to me by the Mason County School Board’s School Safety Director.  This office, in partnership with the Mason County Board of Education, is committed to enforcing the laws that protect our children and to ensuring that families can trust that our schools will be safe places for all students.”

Powell was a teacher at the time of the incident but has since retired. There is no information about a possible trial date.

Find a Fierce Legal Advocate at Hendrickson & Long, PLLC

No parent ever wants to find themselves in this situation where their child has been harmed, and the teacher is the assailant. The immediate concern is to ensure the offending educator is removed and an investigation is conducted.

This scenario can be overwhelming for parents, which is where the attorneys at Hendrickson & Long, PLLC can play an important role.

Contact our office to speak with a legal representative and schedule a free consultation.

Our legal team has years of dedicated experience working as compassionate and supportive Charleston school abuse lawyers. We understand the sensitive nature of these incidents and have helped many families find a measure of justice and accountability.

If you are facing a situation like this, you need to know all available options for pursuing a remedy.

We’re standing by to hear what happened.