A school employee in Dayton, Ohio, is facing allegations of child abuse and assault after a video showed him hitting a 3-year-old nonverbal autistic boy in the head and knocking him to the floor. The employee then picked up the boy by his ankles and carried him upside down.
The incident happened on May 25, 2023, at Rosa Parks Early Learning Center, a public school that serves preschool students with special needs. The boy’s parents were not informed of the incident until June 14, 2023, when they received a letter from the district stating that the employee had been removed from the school.
The parents, who have not been identified, are considering legal action against the school district and the employee. They have hired an attorney, Michael Wright, who is also representing another family whose child was allegedly abused by the same employee.
“This is a clear case of child abuse and assault,” Mr. Wright said in a statement. “He should have left that building in handcuffs.”
Mr. Wright also claimed that the employee had a history of abusing children and that the district failed to protect them. He said that he has obtained video evidence of multiple incidents involving the employee slapping, pinching and dragging children.
The school district has not released the name of the employee, but said that he was a paraprofessional who worked with special needs students. The district also said that it conducted an internal investigation and reported the incident to the police and the Ohio Department of Education.
“We are outraged by this incident. We do not tolerate any form of abuse or mistreatment of our students,” Elizabeth Lolli, superintendent of Dayton Public Schools, said in a statement. “We are cooperating fully with all authorities involved in this matter.”
The police have not arrested or charged the employee, but said that they are still investigating the case. The Ohio Department of Education said that it is reviewing the district’s report and will determine if any action is needed.
The boy’s parents said that their son has been traumatized by the incident and now fears going to school. They also urged other parents to check on their children and report any signs of abuse.
“We want to make sure that this never happens again to any other child,” the boy’s mother said. “We are sickened by what we saw on this video.”
Relevant articles:
– Video shows school employee hitting 3-year-old nonverbal autistic child in the head and knocking him to the floor, attorney alleges, CNN, September 14, 2023
– Parents of boy with autism want answers after video shows school employee hitting son, MSN, September 15, 2023
– Ohio school worker fired after video shows him hit child, The Kansas City Star, September 13, 2023
– Video shows school worker striking Ohio three-year-old boy, USA TODAY, September 14, 2023