Robin Merle Popour, of Gladstone, faces one count of third-degree child abuse, a felony punishable by two years in prison or probation for up to five years, following a December incident at the Delta Schoolcraft Intermediate School District (DSISD) Learning Center. (Photo courtesy of the Delta County Sheriff's Office)

ESCANABA — A teacher’s aide at the Delta Schoolcraft Intermediate School District (DSISD) Learning Center was terminated and charged with child abuse following a December incident involving a special needs student.

Robin Merle Popour, of Gladstone, was arraigned in the Delta County District Court on one count of third-degree child abuse, a felony punishable by two years in prison or probation for up to five years.

The charge stems from an incident that took place on Dec. 17, 2025, when an alleged altercation occurred between Popour, 54, and a special needs student.

According to DSISD Superintendent Kristina Hansen, she and the center’s administration were notified of the incident the following day. Hansen said the employee was immediately placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.

An administrative investigation was conducted on Dec. 19, and Popour was subsequently terminated.

Hansen stated, “Based on the investigation, the administrative team determined that the now-former employee failed to meet the professional, safety, and conduct expectations required of a staff member and that the now-former employee operated outside of district policy, established procedures and standards established during provided training.”

According to the police report, a Delta County Sheriff’s Office deputy spoke with various staff members at the center on Dec. 19 after being contacted on Dec. 18 by the center’s Principal Timothy Racicot. The deputy specifically interviewed three teachers’ aides who were in the classroom at some point during the time of the alleged incident.

One aide stated, “[The student] started out with his harness in his wooden cubby. He really gets attached to certain items.”

The police report indicates two of the aides reported observing the student engaged in inappropriate behavior with the harness. One aide reported Popour said, “I don’t care if he hits me, I am taking his harness.”

Popour allegedly proceeded to take the student’s harness, and “That situation between the two resolved itself,” according to another aide.

At approximately 2:25 p.m., the student was sitting at their table and began to stand up and sit down repeatedly. An aide told the deputy she told the student to sit down when Popour “interjected herself, yelling at [the student] to sit down.”

The student then began making what was described by multiple aides as pinching motions, but he was not touching anyone. The student allegedly went to pinch at Popour and stood up, at which point Popour “grabbed him and threw [the student] against the window,” said one aide.

According to the report, Popour’s hands were on the student’s biceps. The student was screaming “Done done done,” and Popour was allegedly screaming back at the student.

“None of us helped because I’m not going to help you throw a kid up against a wall,” said an aide. “There was no need for her actions, she could [have] easily walked away.”

One aide reported, “Robin has said many times before, ‘If that kid touches me, I will f***ing hit him back. I don’t care if I lose my job over this.'” The aide added that Popour also said many times throughout the year she “does not like him” and “has no use for that kid.”

The police report further stated, “[Popour] then proceeded to throw [the student] into his nearby chair” and threatened the student to “not touch her or she will slap his hands.”

Popour also allegedly told an aide, “I don’t give a f*** if I left marks on him.”

It was noted that the student did not touch Popour until Popour allegedly pushed him up against the window. The classroom’s teacher, Jeffrey Roman, walked into the room and reported he saw the student latching onto Popour’s arms.

“I was shocked because I was just out of the room taking another student to the bathroom for maybe 20 minutes,” Roman told the deputy.

In the following days after the incident, an aide in the classroom noticed bruise marks on the student where Popour allegedly grabbed him.

In a statement to the Daily Press, Hansen said:

“As a school leader, I want to be very clear that this behavior is unacceptable and not tolerated. Our Learning Center staff members are compassionate, patient, super heroes who provide a safe and supportive learning environment for all students in their care.

Staff members receive training multiple times per year about verbal de-escalation strategies that are trauma-informed.

After this incident, we (administrative team) determined a need to provide additional training and support to staff members so that they feel empowered to report concerns. Student safety is always at the forefront of what we do.

When we learn there are ways to improve, we fix that.”

Popour was released from the Delta County Jail on bond on January 17. Her case is currently pending in the 47th Circuit Court.

As of this reporting, no future court dates have been scheduled.

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Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.