A Kentucky teacher has been removed from a school after she was seen on video dragging an autistic nine-year-old boy by the wrists.
Angel Nelson, the boy’s mother, told WSAZ-TV that her son did nothing wrong. He was in the throes of a fit when the woman in charge of Wurtland Elementary School’s special needs program pulled him down a hallway on his back.
“The fact that my son is not able to fully verbalize what he went through means that we must fight that much harder for all kids, but especially the kids who cannot speak for themselves,” the upset mother wrote on Facebook.
She explained that the force seemed great enough to damage her son’s shoes and he was diagnosed with sprained wrists afterward.
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Her son suffers from autism, ADHD, PTSD, anxiety and depression. Outbursts can happen and the boy’s parents believed his IEP (Individualized Education Program) would accomodate him.
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“This is the same lady that looked us in the eye and said ‘Your son is safe with me,'” said his stepfather, Calep Nelson.
The unnamed teacher is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday on a fourth-degree misdemeanour charge.
“I think she should possibly face the inside of a jail,” Calep added.
“She didn’t beat him to a bloody pulp, but she did abuse a child. Anybody that does that to a child should go to jail.”
Greenup County Schools Superintendent Sherry Horsley said in a statement Monday that as soon as administrators became aware of the incident, they contacted the student’s parents, got medical attention for the child and reported the incident to child protective services.
“The teacher was removed from the school and a formal investigation was conducted,” the statement read. “The superintendent also followed protocol and reported the incident to the Kentucky Education Standards Board. The EPSB determines whether or not a teacher keeps their teaching certificate.”
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