Tag Archives: Autism

Child Abuse, Indifference, Parenting, Physical Abuse, Special Needs, Teacher

Cases spark calls for cameras in Special Education classes

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The Bullying Program in the public school system didn’t work for one simple reason:  There is always at least one adult involved.

The Abuse of Special Needs Children have been the subject of several of Our posts.  This does not surprise me in the least,  I only wonder how many of Our Children have been sexually abused by these people.

Just for your information, I could care less about who doesn’t like me recording them, and I do not tell anyone.  I have been told many times how illegal this is, and then I tell why it is not illegal.  I do want to mention that with a certain command, my phone records, and it is quiet possible that someone is listening to the conversation and possibly watching the events Real Time….

KOKOMO, Ind. (AP) — A Kokomo couple is calling for cameras in special education classrooms following an investigation into injuries their autistic son suffered in school last year.

Leslie and Daniel Brannon and other parents of children with special needs say the cameras would allow school officials and investigators to see what happened if a child is injured at school.

But educators and advocates fear they would trample on the rights of teachers and other students.

Many schools place cameras in hallways and on school buses to help monitor students’ behavior. Parents aren’t allowed to view the footage because of the privacy rights of other students caught on camera.

School administrators tell the Kokomo Tribune http://bit.ly/1dJj9Sn that they already have procedures in place to handle any allegations of wrongdoing in the classroom.

Child Abuse, Indifference, Parenting, Special Needs

NOPD: poor handling of sex crimes and child abuse complaints

Indifference to Child Abuse
Russell Johnson and son Rida

NOPD to cite officers who quickly closed child abuse complaint case

NEW ORLEANS – A child abuse complaint filed by Russell Johnson on behalf of his 6-year-old autistic son has been closed without arrests, but action is being taken against the New Orleans police officers who conducted the original investigation.

Rida Johnson, whose autistic condition renders him unable to speak, had a large bruise over his eye when his father picked him up from school one day last year.

Despite his disappointment, Russell Johnson was encouraged this week to see the New Orleans Police Department take action against the officers who failed to properly investigate his original call.

“I was very pleased and very happy to see that finally someone really took a look at the facts and the conduct of the people involved and did what was correct, did the right thing,” Johnson said.

Johnson received a letter from the police department stating that Officer Kimara Woods was found in violation of professionalism for her cursory investigation, taking less than 24 hours to basically close the case without further action.

In addition, Woods’ supervisors were cited because it took more than a day to respond to Johnson’s call to police. Now that PIB has found the officers in violation of departmental policy, the case will now go before a commanding officer to determine the penalties.

Woods’ attorney, Donovan Livaccari of the Fraternal Order of Police, said it would be premature to comment because Woods’ penalty has not been determined. He said the discipline could range from a reprimand to a 10-day suspension.

Johnson’s complaint came after a scathing audit revealed poor handling of hundreds of sex crimes and child abuse complaints. In shoring up the deficiencies, Police Chief Michael Harrison this week changed the commander of that unit.

Johnson said that when he originally called the NOPD last August to investigate what happened to his son, a troubling sequence of events left him wondering if he was getting the same lax treatment as the hundreds of other victims who received little or no investigation after reporting sexual assaults and child abuse over the past three years.

“The toughest part is anytime a parent has to go through something where they have a defenseless child that has something like that happen to him,” Johnson said. “To have someone do that type of physical harm to him. It sends you through a lot of emotions and a lot of despair.”

The school that Johnson attended, Capdau Charter, did not return calls for comment.

Child Abuse

Autistic Child Abused ON School Bus

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Austin School Bus Monitor Accused of Abusing Autistic Child

http://bcove.me/0nl0g02m

AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin parent is pressing charges against a former school employee who’s accused of abusing his child with autism.

The father of two boys at Austin ISD’s Kocurek Elementary said a former bus monitor abused his six-year-old son who has autism. Now the school district police are investigating.

Juan Carlos Fontanez looks out for his younger brother, Jean Paul. “I thank God every day because he’s a special kid,” said their father Luis Fontanez. Fontanez said about two weeks ago Juan Carlos came home upset, saying their bus monitor put tape over Jean Paul’s mouth and sat on him to hold him down. “The first day, I asked my son ‘are you telling the truth? Because someone can get in trouble. Somebody can end up in jail.’ Then he start crying, crying and he said ‘Dad, I am telling the truth.’ So in that moment I trust him.”

Like many autistic children, Jean Paul often repeats words. His big brother claimed the bus monitor put tape on his mouth to keep him quiet and told him not to tell his parents. “He didn’t deserve that, that way. It made me sad, you know?” The family moved to Austin from Puerto Rico several years ago to get Jean Paul better treatment and therapy. Fontanez used to work as a driver on the special needs bus and says he knows the woman who watched over them during the ride. “I never expected that from her.”

Fontanez tells us she confessed the abuse to officers and he’s pressing charges. An Austin ISD spokesperson said the employee has since resigned. Fontanez said from now on he and his wife will be driving the kids themselves.

This is the second incident AISD Police are investigating involving a student at Kocurek Elementary. They tell us parents came forward with allegations about another staff member and, per protocol, that employee is on leave. School district staff said once both of these investigations are complete, they will release more information.