Jacksonville, Florida — A Florida preschool teacher has been arrested on a child abuse charge after investigators allegedly reviewed surveillance footage showing her dragging a young student by the ear from one side of a desk to the other, according to an arrest report.
Cheyenne Eigner, 28, was arrested on October 1 by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and charged with child abuse, according to Duval County court records. She was booked into jail on a $5,000 bond, which she has since posted.
The alleged incident reportedly occurred months before her arrest, raising questions about the investigation’s timeline and the circumstances surrounding the classroom encounter.
Surveillance Video Allegedly Captured Classroom Incident
According to the arrest report, Eigner was working as a preschool teacher at Cornerstone Christian School, located at 9039 Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville, on May 22, 2026.
An investigator later reviewed surveillance footage that allegedly showed Eigner dragging a child by the ear from one side of a desk to the other.
The report stated that the action appeared to have occurred “for no apparent reason.” Authorities said the child immediately reacted after the teacher released her grip.
According to the report, the girl “immediately clutched her ear after the suspect released her grip.”
The child also “appeared to be in pain,” investigators noted. However, authorities said she did not sustain any lasting injuries from the alleged incident.
The child’s age was redacted from the arrest report, and officials have not publicly disclosed further details about her identity.
The available information does not explain what happened before the alleged contact or why the teacher reportedly moved the child in that manner.
Former Teacher Faces Child Abuse Charge
Eigner was taken into custody on October 1, more than four months after the alleged incident on May 22.
The arrest report does not explain why authorities waited several months before making the arrest or when investigators first learned about the incident.
She was booked into jail and subsequently released after posting her $5,000 bond.
Eigner is scheduled to be arraigned on October 22, 2026, according to the information provided in the court records. The case remains a criminal proceeding, and the allegations against her have not been established as facts in court.
Cornerstone Christian School Issues Statement
Cornerstone Christian School acknowledged the case in a statement provided to a local news outlet. The school described the incident as involving a former employee and said it had taken action after administrators learned about the alleged conduct.
The statement read that the school was “aware that a former employee was recently arrested in connection with a May 2026 incident involving the inappropriate handling of a student.”
The school also outlined the steps it said it took in response.
“As soon as administration learned of the incident, the employee was immediately removed from campus, their employment was terminated, and the matter was reported to law enforcement,” the statement went on.
The school added that it had cooperated with investigators throughout the process.
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“The safety and well-being of our students is, and will always be, our highest priority.”
Cornerstone Christian School describes itself as a non-denominational Christian institution in Jacksonville that serves more than 320 students from kindergarten through 12th grade using a Bible-based curriculum.
The school has not provided additional details about the alleged classroom encounter in the statement cited in the report.
What Happens Next in the Case?
The scheduled arraignment on October 22 is the next key date identified in the available court information. Further proceedings will determine how the case moves through the criminal justice system.
Authorities have not publicly explained how the incident first came to their attention, and the arrest report does not detail the reason for the delay between the alleged conduct and Eigner’s arrest.
For now, the case centers on the surveillance footage described by investigators, the child’s reported reaction and the child abuse charge filed against the former teacher.
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