A first-grade teacher in Tennessee was recently arrested on two counts of child abuse after an alleged incident that involved two of her own children.
Heather Pecht’s estranged husband reported the alleged abuse to Chattanooga Police on Friday, December 12, after he picked up two of his children from her home, according to The Chattanoogan. He told an officer that he noticed scratches and scabs all over the children’s hands, while the kids told him that their mother was responsible for the injuries.
The estranged husband also told officers that he reported past abuse by Pecht several times to police departments in Dunlap and Marion County. However, he said that nothing ever came of those reports. Additionally, he said that their oldest child currently lives with him because “[the child] does not want to be around his mother.”
The former couple’s two younger children told officials that they were with Pecht in the parking lot of Ruby Falls on scenic Lookout Mountain when her cell phone fell behind her, in the back seat of the car, according to court documents viewed by The Chattanoogan. Pecht began screaming at the kids to get her the phone, so they started to try retrieving it for her. As the children attempted to help, Pecht allegedly began to pinch and scratch them.
One of the children tried to escape the situation by getting out of the car. Additionally, one of the children told officers that his mother bit him three times when he tried to push her hands away from him during the alleged altercation.
Both of the children claimed that the alleged abuse had been “happening for years” and that it “occurs about once a week.”
Police also noted in the court documents that the kids had visible scratches, red marks and other marks that resembled fingernail imprints on their hands when they spoke to authorities about the incident.
In addition to the two younger kids, Pecht’s eldest child also reported experiencing frequent abuse at the hands of his mother, according to WTVC.
Pecht’s estranged husband has since filed a request for emergency custody of the children and the request was granted, according to The Chattanoogan.
She was arrested on Friday, December 26, and was charged with two counts of child abuse. Pecht is scheduled to appear in court on January 27, 2026.
It was not clear if Pecht had entered a plea to the charges or obtained legal representation.
The Chattanooga Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment.
Pecht is a first-grade teacher at Lookout Mountain Elementary School. However, the status of her employment is not currently clear following her arrest.
Child abuse sentences vary widely in Tennessee based on the severity of the offense and the child’s age. Pecht could be facing anything from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class A felony. A misdemeanor charge has a sentence of up to 11 months and 29 days in jail, while a Class A felony can include a sentence of 15 to 60 years in prison.
If you suspect child abuse, please call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit ChildHelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential, and the hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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