Staff Report
Published Friday, Feb. 22, 2008
VENICE, FL — A Venice Elementary School teacher is under arrest this morning, charged with the abuse of mentally handicapped students in her classroom. Venice police say Diana Z. O'Neill hit students on more than one occasion, kicked a child and twisted a child's arm behind his back. Two teacher aides in O'Neill's classroom came forward because they were concerned that the students were in danger, according to police. One of the aides gave school officials a written log of the incidents of alleged abuse.Police documents list four of the five students in O'Neill's classroom as victims in the case. The school district placed O'Neill on administrative leave last week. She turned herself in at the Venice Police Department on Thursday. She's charged with four counts of aggravated child abuse. Police reports say that O’Neill routinely hurt four of the students in her class.
Girl, 7, punished with "body sock"
Parents of a 7-year-old girl, who has the motor skills of an 11- to 14-month-old child, say the teacher’s physical abuse caused their daughter to lose enthusiasm. She had trouble sleeping and became quick-tempered, police reports state.
Aides reported O’Neill had kicked the girl in the legs, hit her in the head with objects, pushed her to the floor and used a “weighted blanket” and a “body sock” — two therapy tools that restrict movement — to punish her.
The aides told police that O’Neill told the girl to get out of a chair on Oct. 12 and gave her “a good push,” causing the girl to trip and hit her head on the floor so hard she started to cry, although she rarely cries.
The girl went to the school nurse, who filled out an incident report based on what O’Neill told her — that the girl “tripped on chair leg — fell backwards on floor,” police records state.
The aides told police O’Neill struck the girl numerous times in December, including three times with a board and with her hand on Dec. 5; with her hand, an arm brace and twice with a binder on Dec. 12; with an arm brace on Dec. 17; and with a water bottle on Jan. 14.
When O’Neill pushed the girl on Jan. 18, she hit her head on a metal door frame and caused a lump, but O’Neill reported the girl “fell into a wall” and had “zero sign of head injury, applied ice,” police said.
A week later, O’Neill got out a blue weighted blanket and wrapped up the girl from head to toe with her hands at her side, and then let her go, one aide told police.
The girl lost her balance and hit her head as she fell to the floor, police reported. As she tried to free herself, she hit the base of a swing, and O’Neill chuckled, the aide told police.
O’Neill also used the body sock to cover the girl, pinning her arms to her sides, then gave her a little push, and the girl fell into a shelf and hit her head, the aide told police.
The girl’s parents told police that since O’Neill was removed from the classroom, the girl has been happier, more verbal, more social, a better sleeper and less aggressive when agitated.
Autistic boy allowed to hit head on wall
A boy in O’Neill’s class who is diagnosed with autism, seizure disorder and developmental delay, has the abilities of a 15- to 24-month-old child, police reports said. His mother says the boy does not know right from wrong in most cases, and has little understanding of consequences.
Aides told police that O’Neill would wheel his chair into the corner when the boy acted up at lunch, leaving him there. The boy would respond by hitting his head on the wall and O’Neill would say sarcastically, “don’t hit your head,” but allowed him to continue.
Once in the corner of the cafeteria, out of sight of most people, O’Neill would also twist his arm behind him or twist fingers until he cried out in pain, the aides said.
There is a chair the boy can be restrained in as an alternative way to control him, the aides said.
The boy has his own nurse with him at all times because of a seizure disorder, but O’Neill would not allow the nurse in the classroom because she said he is a distraction to learning, the aides said.
Girl backhanded in head, reports say
An 11-year-old girl who is in a wheelchair, who had half of her brain removed when she was 11 months old, still has a soft spot in her head where the sections of the skull do not meet. She is also prone to seizures.
O’Neill backhanded the girl in the head, fed her in a rough manner that caused the girl’s lip to bleed and degraded her in front of others, according to police reports.
An aide told police that O’Neill was feeding the girl on Jan. 28 and backhanded her in the head when the girl did not follow prompts to choose between a bite of food or a sip of her drink.The aide said O’Neill would ram the spoon in the girl’s mouth during meals so hard that her gums bled.
Boy, 8, came home with bruises
An 8-year-old boy in O’Neill’s class has Down syndrome and a seizure disorder. His mother told police he has come home from school with bruises on the back of his thighs.
The aides told police O’Neill has hit him in the head with a variety of objects, kicked him in the buttocks, slapped him and pulled a rag from his mouth so hard that it removed a tooth.
O’Neill also used a gait belt as a leash that left bruises and scratches on the boy’s back and neck.The boy just learned to walk and gets tired, and one day O’Neill placed a cloth belt across his chest and under his arms when he sat down on the floor to rest, the aides told police.
O’Neill used the belt to yank the boy to his feet several times, telling him, “You’re going to stand,” aides told police.
Another time, the boy bit down on a wash cloth O’Neill was using to clean out his mouth and she yanked it out so hard that a bottom tooth went flying over her right shoulder, the aides told police.
Last modified: Friday, Feb. 22, 2008 at 2:51 p.m.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080222/BREAKING/338604838/-1/news
Friday, February 22, 2008
Sarasota School District reacts to child abuse charges
Updated: Feb 22, 2008 11:35 AM EST
VENICE - Sarasota County School Board releases statement about charges of child abuse at Venice Elementary School:
Venice Elementary School teacher Diana O'Neill surrendered to Venice police Thursday evening in connection with allegations that she may have physically abused students in her class.
Other staff members at the school reported that they had witnessed O'Neill engaging in behavior with students that could be considered abusive. Principal Theresa Baus reported the allegations to the Florida Department of Children and Families in late January. O'Neill was placed on administrative leave immediately, pending further investigation. The Sarasota County School district cooperated fully with the Venice Police and DCF investigations.
The results of the DCF investigation indicated that charges were warranted. A probable cause affidavit was issued Feb. 21 by the Florida State Attorney's office.
Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Gary Norris said the district typically suspends any administrative inquiry during a DCF or police investigation to avoid interfering with those proceedings. Once the police investigation is concluded, the district conducts an investigation to determine if disciplinary action is warranted independent of the resolution of the legal case.
"Action may be necessary to respond to professional misconduct even in cases where an individual is not convicted of a crime," Norris said. "Obviously teachers and other school staff must be held to the highest possible standards in matters of student safety and well-being."
Requests for information about criminal charges against O'Neill are being referred to Captain Tom McNulty of the Venice Police Department
VENICE - Sarasota County School Board releases statement about charges of child abuse at Venice Elementary School:
Venice Elementary School teacher Diana O'Neill surrendered to Venice police Thursday evening in connection with allegations that she may have physically abused students in her class.
Other staff members at the school reported that they had witnessed O'Neill engaging in behavior with students that could be considered abusive. Principal Theresa Baus reported the allegations to the Florida Department of Children and Families in late January. O'Neill was placed on administrative leave immediately, pending further investigation. The Sarasota County School district cooperated fully with the Venice Police and DCF investigations.
The results of the DCF investigation indicated that charges were warranted. A probable cause affidavit was issued Feb. 21 by the Florida State Attorney's office.
Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Gary Norris said the district typically suspends any administrative inquiry during a DCF or police investigation to avoid interfering with those proceedings. Once the police investigation is concluded, the district conducts an investigation to determine if disciplinary action is warranted independent of the resolution of the legal case.
"Action may be necessary to respond to professional misconduct even in cases where an individual is not convicted of a crime," Norris said. "Obviously teachers and other school staff must be held to the highest possible standards in matters of student safety and well-being."
Requests for information about criminal charges against O'Neill are being referred to Captain Tom McNulty of the Venice Police Department
Monday, February 18, 2008
Boy with autism died 'while care workers brought drinks and shopping'
Boy with autism died 'while care workers brought drinks and shopping'
NISKAYUNA, New York State, USA: A 13-year-old boy with autism died on February 15 after police say two care workers for the disabled drove him around for 90 minutes - running errands, buying beverages and shopping - when he stopped breathing in their van.
The men, one of whom allegedly used an improper physical restraint on the boy, Jonathan Carey, were both charged with manslaughter.
Colonie Police said the workers did not seek or offer medical help during the drive on February 15. Instead, the employees of the O.D. Heck Developmental Center in Niskayuna allegedly stopped to buy beverages, then a computer game and then dropped the game off at one man's home.
Edwin Tirado, 35, of 1634 6th Ave., Schenectady, and Nadeem Mall, 32, of 9 Plaske Drive, Schenectady, reported the boy needed medical attention only once they had finally returned to the O.D. Heck Center where the child, who was also mentally retarded, lived, police said.
The child, identified by police as Jonathan Carey, had been with the Niskayuna centre since his parents moved him from a Dutchess County facility they believed had abused him.
We are devastated," sobbed Mike Carey as he and his wife, Lisa, waited for an plane to bring them home. "He was such a special human being."
The Glenmont couple was on a long-awaited vacation together, having left their younger son with friends. It was to be a respite from the constant advocacy for Jonathan.
"We can't believe it," they sobbed from the St. Thomas airport in the Virgin Islands. "We are in total shock."
The accused O.D. Heck employees are being held in Albany County jail without bail.
Police said Mall was driving a van to take Jonathan Carey and a 14-year-old client, whose identity has not been made public, from O.D. Heck to Crossgates Mall, Colonie Police Chief Steven Heider said in a news conference on February 16.
Along the drive, Mall stopped for cash from an ATM and when he returned to the van, according to Heider, Tirado had the boy in the illegal hold. "The two adults rendered no aid and they did not return to O.D. Heck for an hour and a half," Heider said.
Efforts were made to revive the boy at the centre, and he was taken to St. Claire's Hospital in Schenectady, where he was pronounced dead. Police cannot say the boy died in the van because a person is not ruled dead until pronounced so by a hospital or medical examiner, the chief said. An autopsy is set for today.
"The 13-year-old succumbed to what we're alleging were improper and wrongful holds placed on him," Heider said.
Niskayuna Police were called first, but their investigation indicated the boy had been suffocated while being driven around Colonie, he said. Police said the 14-year-old client is verbal and was able to give them a description of the events.
"The bottom line is the Niskayuna police and the first responders did a fantastic job here in being able to pick apart their story," said Albany County District Attorney David Soares. "You couldn't ask for anything better."
Soares said the case would be put to a grand jury for indictment as soon as results of the autopsy are received. Although current information supports the charges of manslaughter, Soares said, he would not rule out the possibility of increased charges.
"It's too early to tell," he said. "At this point in time, my thoughts are with the Carey family."
The state Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, which oversees the centre, issued a statement on February 16 expressing sadness over the boy's death.
"Officials have been and will continue to work closely with law enforcement as they piece together what happened," the statement said, adding the agency provides "intensive staff training, monitoring and follow-up of any use of behavioural interventions and, given the current situation, these protocols will once again be reviewed."
Spokeswoman Deborah Sturm Rausch said she was not sure if she could find information about what Mall and Tirado's exact job titles were, or whether they had to be, or were, licensed.
Tirado, who had worked at the agency for six years, was the person restraining the boy but Mall had an equal responsibility for failing to provide or get medical assistance, Heider said. He declined to specify what hold was used but said the boy suffocated.
A woman answering the door with an infant at Mall's Schenectady home declined to comment. There was no answer when a reporter approached Tirado's home.
Since 2004, the Carey family has fought for legislation to force state agencies to disclose information they said could prove abuse of patients like their son. In October that year, Mike said he found Jonathan, then 11, naked, covered in bruises and lying in his own urine in the Anderson School in Dutchess County. The father had popped in unexpectedly to visit his son and took him home the same day.
The Careys said they never knew what their son endured because Jonathan was non-verbal and could not tell them himself. He was moved to O.D. Heck where the Careys said in December he was doing well.
The Careys described the fawn-haired boy with huge cerulean eyes as a good son who loved his father and mother. "He loved to watch Jesus films," Mike said softly. "He loved people and wanted to be around people. He loved horses. There was just so much love in his heart."
Jonathan was a regular visitor of the New Horizons stable on Pearse Road. When he was riding horses, Jonathan seemed happy, his parents said.
The Careys sued Anderson School in 2005, in state Supreme Court in Albany, claiming the institution and its staff violated Jonathan's right to safety and nourishment.
In December, Mike Carey said, "No parent or guardian should ever have to go through what Lisa and I have had to endure just to get answers. We would have been arrested if what happened to Jonathan had happened at home."
Since then, the couple has fought to get sealed records opened that they believe could reveal who had physically abused the boy as well as who knew it but did nothing to prevent it or report it. He said he hoped his son's death would enable the family to get the law changed.
"This is what we had been concerned about, what we have been fighting for," Mike said, of his son's death. "We really felt compelled, like a God-given responsibility, to help other children, to get changes and reform to help prevent something like this from happening."
Jonathan's death is prompting county lawmakers to renew calls for the passage of Jonathan's Law. The Rensselaer County Legislature is now calling on state lawmakers to take action and pass the Bill. If it passes, the law would give parents the right to access their children's records. Right now, that information cannot be released and acts of abuse can be concealed from families.
Jonathan's family has been trying to get a law passed since 2004, after they said their son was being mistreated at a Dutchess County facility.
(Source: Albany Times Union, February 17, 2007)
NISKAYUNA, New York State, USA: A 13-year-old boy with autism died on February 15 after police say two care workers for the disabled drove him around for 90 minutes - running errands, buying beverages and shopping - when he stopped breathing in their van.
The men, one of whom allegedly used an improper physical restraint on the boy, Jonathan Carey, were both charged with manslaughter.
Colonie Police said the workers did not seek or offer medical help during the drive on February 15. Instead, the employees of the O.D. Heck Developmental Center in Niskayuna allegedly stopped to buy beverages, then a computer game and then dropped the game off at one man's home.
Edwin Tirado, 35, of 1634 6th Ave., Schenectady, and Nadeem Mall, 32, of 9 Plaske Drive, Schenectady, reported the boy needed medical attention only once they had finally returned to the O.D. Heck Center where the child, who was also mentally retarded, lived, police said.
The child, identified by police as Jonathan Carey, had been with the Niskayuna centre since his parents moved him from a Dutchess County facility they believed had abused him.
We are devastated," sobbed Mike Carey as he and his wife, Lisa, waited for an plane to bring them home. "He was such a special human being."
The Glenmont couple was on a long-awaited vacation together, having left their younger son with friends. It was to be a respite from the constant advocacy for Jonathan.
"We can't believe it," they sobbed from the St. Thomas airport in the Virgin Islands. "We are in total shock."
The accused O.D. Heck employees are being held in Albany County jail without bail.
Police said Mall was driving a van to take Jonathan Carey and a 14-year-old client, whose identity has not been made public, from O.D. Heck to Crossgates Mall, Colonie Police Chief Steven Heider said in a news conference on February 16.
Along the drive, Mall stopped for cash from an ATM and when he returned to the van, according to Heider, Tirado had the boy in the illegal hold. "The two adults rendered no aid and they did not return to O.D. Heck for an hour and a half," Heider said.
Efforts were made to revive the boy at the centre, and he was taken to St. Claire's Hospital in Schenectady, where he was pronounced dead. Police cannot say the boy died in the van because a person is not ruled dead until pronounced so by a hospital or medical examiner, the chief said. An autopsy is set for today.
"The 13-year-old succumbed to what we're alleging were improper and wrongful holds placed on him," Heider said.
Niskayuna Police were called first, but their investigation indicated the boy had been suffocated while being driven around Colonie, he said. Police said the 14-year-old client is verbal and was able to give them a description of the events.
"The bottom line is the Niskayuna police and the first responders did a fantastic job here in being able to pick apart their story," said Albany County District Attorney David Soares. "You couldn't ask for anything better."
Soares said the case would be put to a grand jury for indictment as soon as results of the autopsy are received. Although current information supports the charges of manslaughter, Soares said, he would not rule out the possibility of increased charges.
"It's too early to tell," he said. "At this point in time, my thoughts are with the Carey family."
The state Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, which oversees the centre, issued a statement on February 16 expressing sadness over the boy's death.
"Officials have been and will continue to work closely with law enforcement as they piece together what happened," the statement said, adding the agency provides "intensive staff training, monitoring and follow-up of any use of behavioural interventions and, given the current situation, these protocols will once again be reviewed."
Spokeswoman Deborah Sturm Rausch said she was not sure if she could find information about what Mall and Tirado's exact job titles were, or whether they had to be, or were, licensed.
Tirado, who had worked at the agency for six years, was the person restraining the boy but Mall had an equal responsibility for failing to provide or get medical assistance, Heider said. He declined to specify what hold was used but said the boy suffocated.
A woman answering the door with an infant at Mall's Schenectady home declined to comment. There was no answer when a reporter approached Tirado's home.
Since 2004, the Carey family has fought for legislation to force state agencies to disclose information they said could prove abuse of patients like their son. In October that year, Mike said he found Jonathan, then 11, naked, covered in bruises and lying in his own urine in the Anderson School in Dutchess County. The father had popped in unexpectedly to visit his son and took him home the same day.
The Careys said they never knew what their son endured because Jonathan was non-verbal and could not tell them himself. He was moved to O.D. Heck where the Careys said in December he was doing well.
The Careys described the fawn-haired boy with huge cerulean eyes as a good son who loved his father and mother. "He loved to watch Jesus films," Mike said softly. "He loved people and wanted to be around people. He loved horses. There was just so much love in his heart."
Jonathan was a regular visitor of the New Horizons stable on Pearse Road. When he was riding horses, Jonathan seemed happy, his parents said.
The Careys sued Anderson School in 2005, in state Supreme Court in Albany, claiming the institution and its staff violated Jonathan's right to safety and nourishment.
In December, Mike Carey said, "No parent or guardian should ever have to go through what Lisa and I have had to endure just to get answers. We would have been arrested if what happened to Jonathan had happened at home."
Since then, the couple has fought to get sealed records opened that they believe could reveal who had physically abused the boy as well as who knew it but did nothing to prevent it or report it. He said he hoped his son's death would enable the family to get the law changed.
"This is what we had been concerned about, what we have been fighting for," Mike said, of his son's death. "We really felt compelled, like a God-given responsibility, to help other children, to get changes and reform to help prevent something like this from happening."
Jonathan's death is prompting county lawmakers to renew calls for the passage of Jonathan's Law. The Rensselaer County Legislature is now calling on state lawmakers to take action and pass the Bill. If it passes, the law would give parents the right to access their children's records. Right now, that information cannot be released and acts of abuse can be concealed from families.
Jonathan's family has been trying to get a law passed since 2004, after they said their son was being mistreated at a Dutchess County facility.
(Source: Albany Times Union, February 17, 2007)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Teacher Accused Of Duct-Taping Boy To Desk
Middle School Teacher Gets 10-Day Suspension
POSTED: 11:12 pm EST February 12, 2008
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A middle school teacher accused of using duct tape to bind a student to his desk was suspended for more than a week without pay for the alleged incident.
The Duval County School Board voted on Tuesday to suspend Kasey Goodin for 10 days without pay.
The school board made its decision after hearing the teacher's version of what happened inside the Kirby-Smith Middle School classroom, WJXT reported.
The district said Goodin told investigators the taping incident was a joke.
However, board members didn't think it was funny.
"It's just not funny for a child to be taped, whether it's in jest or it's a disciplinary measure," said school board chair Betty Burney.
In Goodin's written account of what happened in the classroom, the teacher said, "There was a light-hearted mood in the class as I walked to the supply closet and removed a roll of purple duct tape and a roll of masking tape … The class was laughing. I was laughing. The student was laughing."
WJXT was told Goodin took that duct tape and taped the student's leg to his desk before she used the masking tape to tape his hands and his face.
"The masking tape was applied to the student's hands. The student immediately removed it, laughing throughout the incident. Within the next few minutes, the 'play' was over, the tape was removed," the teacher wrote in her statement.
She ended her account stating, "This incident, was in reality, an opportunity to have fun with the students while getting a message to them. Looking back, I know that it was inappropriate for me to break the lines of formality."
The student involved has since been removed from Goodin's classroom.
"The reason why we didn't go for something as severe as dismissal, it did appear at least it started out as something more lighthearted," said Duval County Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals.
Board members said the teaching position at Kirby is the teacher's first job and she has shown good behavior in the past.
"I understand that it was a young teacher. I just felt that we needed to send a stronger message," said Burney.
Burney was the only board member who voted against Goodin's 10-day suspension, saying she didn't think the punishment was harsh enough.
Board members also voted that the teacher should get counseling.
http://www.local6.com/news/15287294/detail.html
POSTED: 11:12 pm EST February 12, 2008
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A middle school teacher accused of using duct tape to bind a student to his desk was suspended for more than a week without pay for the alleged incident.
The Duval County School Board voted on Tuesday to suspend Kasey Goodin for 10 days without pay.
The school board made its decision after hearing the teacher's version of what happened inside the Kirby-Smith Middle School classroom, WJXT reported.
The district said Goodin told investigators the taping incident was a joke.
However, board members didn't think it was funny.
"It's just not funny for a child to be taped, whether it's in jest or it's a disciplinary measure," said school board chair Betty Burney.
In Goodin's written account of what happened in the classroom, the teacher said, "There was a light-hearted mood in the class as I walked to the supply closet and removed a roll of purple duct tape and a roll of masking tape … The class was laughing. I was laughing. The student was laughing."
WJXT was told Goodin took that duct tape and taped the student's leg to his desk before she used the masking tape to tape his hands and his face.
"The masking tape was applied to the student's hands. The student immediately removed it, laughing throughout the incident. Within the next few minutes, the 'play' was over, the tape was removed," the teacher wrote in her statement.
She ended her account stating, "This incident, was in reality, an opportunity to have fun with the students while getting a message to them. Looking back, I know that it was inappropriate for me to break the lines of formality."
The student involved has since been removed from Goodin's classroom.
"The reason why we didn't go for something as severe as dismissal, it did appear at least it started out as something more lighthearted," said Duval County Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals.
Board members said the teaching position at Kirby is the teacher's first job and she has shown good behavior in the past.
"I understand that it was a young teacher. I just felt that we needed to send a stronger message," said Burney.
Burney was the only board member who voted against Goodin's 10-day suspension, saying she didn't think the punishment was harsh enough.
Board members also voted that the teacher should get counseling.
http://www.local6.com/news/15287294/detail.html
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Parents Battle Special Ed. Program After Student is Seriously Injured
Updated: Feb 8, 2008 12:16 AM EST
By Natalie Arnold
A group of parents is refusing to send their children back to the special education program at a Neenah elementary school after one student was seriously injured by a teacher.
So far everyone agrees it was an accident but the parents say this was not the first time their children have been hurt, and they are demanding a change.
Even though her daughter is ten, Ann Lutz feels that day care would be much better for Nicole than a Neenah public school.
"I've lost complete trust in the school, the staff, and actually the school district," Lutz said.
Two months ago, a teacher at Coolidge Elementary broke Nicole's jaw when he tried to remove her from a piece of equipment that helps disabled children stand.
"Nicole's teeth, gum, and the bone that the teeth are into completely came out of her mouth," Lutz described.
As soon as two other parents found out, they took their children out of school, too. All say their kids have been hurt in the past.
"I told Ann I would not send Brittany back to school until something is done. Something has to be done," parent Christine Becker said.
Despite claims to the contrary, as far as the district is concerned, what happened to Lutz's daughter was an isolated incident. Officials defend the teacher and the program.
Anne Lang is director of pupil services. "There really wasn't anything that was done wrong in terms of, as I said, negligence of that sort. We really feel that the teacher has been doing a great job. The educational assistants have been spoken to."
The parents say that's just not true. They won't bring their kids back until there's a change. The best option, they believe, would be a complete change in staff.
"I'm just amazed at the response of the school system. I'm really disappointed," Lutz said.
By Natalie Arnold
A group of parents is refusing to send their children back to the special education program at a Neenah elementary school after one student was seriously injured by a teacher.
So far everyone agrees it was an accident but the parents say this was not the first time their children have been hurt, and they are demanding a change.
Even though her daughter is ten, Ann Lutz feels that day care would be much better for Nicole than a Neenah public school.
"I've lost complete trust in the school, the staff, and actually the school district," Lutz said.
Two months ago, a teacher at Coolidge Elementary broke Nicole's jaw when he tried to remove her from a piece of equipment that helps disabled children stand.
"Nicole's teeth, gum, and the bone that the teeth are into completely came out of her mouth," Lutz described.
As soon as two other parents found out, they took their children out of school, too. All say their kids have been hurt in the past.
"I told Ann I would not send Brittany back to school until something is done. Something has to be done," parent Christine Becker said.
Despite claims to the contrary, as far as the district is concerned, what happened to Lutz's daughter was an isolated incident. Officials defend the teacher and the program.
Anne Lang is director of pupil services. "There really wasn't anything that was done wrong in terms of, as I said, negligence of that sort. We really feel that the teacher has been doing a great job. The educational assistants have been spoken to."
The parents say that's just not true. They won't bring their kids back until there's a change. The best option, they believe, would be a complete change in staff.
"I'm just amazed at the response of the school system. I'm really disappointed," Lutz said.
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