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Fla. state attorney: Witness fabricated evidence against principal, teacher accused of child abuse

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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Michael and Kimberly Hoskinson, a principal and teacher with the Hillsborough County school district respectively, were exonerated of child abuse charges after it was determined that the witness fabricated evidence.

RELATED: Florida middle school principal, high school teacher arrested for alleged child abuse

The two were arrested after the victim in the case said they were punched twice in the rib cage, also resulting in a wrist injury.

Both later resigned from their positions as a result of the arrests.

At the time of the arrest, several parents told Tampa-based WFTS they couldn't believe the two would be involved in something like this.

Monday afternoon, the state attorney dropped the charges when it was discovered that threatening text messages, key pieces of evidence, were fabricated and manipulated.

"That is our goal to make sure there is a system in place that this does not happen again," attorney Richard Escobar said.

The Hillsborough County School District also announced that both Michael and Kimberly Hoskinson would be reinstated following the announcement.

The district released the following statement:

Mike and Kim Hoskinson have been reinstated as employees of Hillsborough County Public Schools. The district is sensitive to everything the Hoskinsons have gone through. Their positions with the district have not been determined at this time. Superintendent Eakins will be meeting with the Hoskinsons in the next few days to discuss their future.