A second-grader at North Gresham Elementary developed an anxiety disorder and can't sleep alone after a substitute teacher spent four months physically and emotionally abusing him.

The student's family alleges in a $550,000 lawsuit filed against the Gresham-Barlow School District in late June.

The complaint, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court, alleges substitute teacher Natasha Green squeezed the boy's head until it hurt, pulled his chair out from under him causing him to fall, and told classmates he had wet his pants when he'd actually spilled water on his clothing. The alleged abuse ran from December 2024 through March 2025.

The child's mother repeatedly warned school administrators, but the district did not act immediately, according to the lawsuit. Green was placed on paid administrative leave on March 19, 2025.

Angela Freeman, who served as Gresham-Barlow's assistant superintendent during the dismissal proceedings, now leads human resources at Portland Public Schools.

After the mother contacted the Oregon Department of Human Services, a state investigator referred the boy to CARES Northwest, a child abuse evaluation center at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in North Portland.

In a recorded interview with CARES examiners, the child described Green squeezing his head, pulling his chair, and publicly humiliating him in front of peers.

The examiners concluded the boy had significant anxiety around attending school and would need therapy to address trust issues. The complaint adds that he has experienced academic setbacks, low self-esteem, and difficulty sleeping alone.

The lawsuit also alleges the student was the only Black child in his class and that he and another "dark-skinned student" were treated differently than classmates.

The Gresham-Barlow school board voted 4-1 on May 21, 2025, to dismiss Green. She had requested the hearing be public.

At that hearing, Freeman said the grounds for dismissal centered on Green's tendency to "physically redirect" students, including tugging on their hoodies or shirts and pulling on a student's arm. Freeman also said Green had been offered the chance to resign with a neutral reference letter but declined.

Green's attorney, Isabel Harris, said the allegations were based on unsubstantiated "hearsay" and that Green faced discrimination for her Christian beliefs. Freeman called that claim unfounded.

Green told The Oregonian/OregonLive on July 7 that she categorically denied the allegations and was struggling to cover attorney fees from disputing her termination. "I have always given my best for all of my students," she said. "This has totally pushed me back."

She is not named as a defendant. The district itself is the sole defendant.

District spokesperson Athena Vadnais confirmed Green was a temporary employee hired for a six-month stint but declined to comment on the pending litigation.

Attorney Amber Kinney, who represents the family, said the district failed to protect the child despite repeated warnings from his mother. The lawsuit is pending in Multnomah County Circuit Court.