Torrance Special Ed Teacher Removed From Classroom After Posting Student Is 'A Hot Mess'

TORRANCE (CBSLA.com) — A South Bay special-education teacher Friday was facing disciplinary action for a comment she posted on her Facebook account.

Suzanne Hutton, a teacher at Howard Wood Elementary School in Torrance, posted Monday that she had an meeting with the "crazy parents" of a child with autism.

She also said the student was "a hot mess" before adding that he was "so sweet."

The annual meeting was scheduled to discuss the child's Individualized Education Program (IEP), a plan which outlines learning objectives and documents the progress of students with special needs, the Daily Breeze reported.

""Well I have an annual IEP this morning with lawyers and crazy parents. The student is a hot mess but so sweet! So after work I'm hitting happy hour at least I have something to look forward too!!! (sic) Deep breath ... I'm going in," the post said.

Hutton's post was discovered by another parent of a child in her class and emailed to a school official, the Daily Breeze reported.

Hutton was removed from the classroom Tuesday and placed on administrative leave. The incident is under investigation by the Torrance Unified School District.

Areva Martin, of the Special Needs Network, told KCAL9's Brittney Hopper that the posting was outrageous.

"It's really disrespectful. It's unprofessional, and it's just really insensitive and rude," said Martin.

Martin is a parent of a 14-year-old son with special needs. She believes the post suggests the teacher has been in the field too long.

"She is no longer passionate or compassionate about the work that she does," Martin believes.