MT: Second aide accused in abuse case expected soon in court

November 3, 2009

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20091103/NEWS01/911030310/1002/news01

The second woman accused of abusing a North Middle School autistic student is expected to make her initial appearance in Cascade County District Court soon, according to a deputy county attorney.

Kristina Marie Kallies is the second teacher's aide accused of abusing Garrett Schilling when he was a 13-year-old North student. An arrest warrant has been issued for her on a felony count of assault on a minor and a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of children.

Great Falls Police Department detectives have been in contact with Kallies, who is believed to be in San Antonio, Texas. Deputy Cascade County Attorney Kory Larsen said Monday that Kallies will be driving up to Great Falls, and he expects her in court within the next two weeks.

Another woman facing the same charges, Julie Ann Parish, made her initial appearance on Oct. 19. She posted her $5,000 bond and was released. Parish is next due in court on Thursday for an arraignment.

The two are accused of holding Schilling's head under water after he dozed off in class or didn't complete his schoolwork.

Both Kallies and Parish denied the charges during a school district investigation.

MT: Ex-aides charged for abuse of autistic boy

From GreatFallsTribune.com:

Click to read the full 6 page article: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091020/NEWS01/910200301

Here's an excerpt:

"Their horrific acts did tremendous damage to this child," charged Dr. Suzanne Dixon, the physician who has been treating the 14-year-old, Garrett Schilling.

Interviewed by the police department, Parish and Kallies said they splashed water in Garrett's face or poured it over his head, but denied they held his head under the water.

Garrett's parents, Tifonie and Bryan Schilling, wrote school Superintendent Cheryl Crawley two weeks ago to demand changes in the special education department to make sure no more students are abused.

Crawley said she had heard about the incident from parents and staff last spring and requested an immediate investigation.

"Our investigation is complete, and none of those people work for us anymore," Crawley said a week ago. "It's a police matter at the moment."

Tifoni Schilling is furious about what happened to her son, but is careful not to blame all special education personnel.

"Those people who did terrible things to my son are horrible, but there are many good people who really care about these kids," she said. "We're afraid of tarring good people, but we just want to make sure this problem is reformed."

MT: Rep Wilson calls for MT AG to investigate GFPS abuse charges

Posted October 20, 2009 04:23 pm

Update October 20, 2009 10:04 pm

http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=11347848

Bill Wilson, a Great Falls representative in the Montana Legislature, is calling for Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock to conduct an independent investigation into potential child abuse in the Great Falls School District.

Julie Parish, a former teacher's aide at North Middle School, appeared in court on Monday to face a charge of assaulting a 13-year-old autistic student at North Middle School (click here to read full story; click herefor video and interviews).

Witnesses say Julie Ann Parish and another aide, Kristina Marie Kallies, abused the autistic child over several months during the 2008-2009 school year.

Prosecutors charge that the abuse ranged from a "water boarding"-like technique to making the child eat his own vomit and making him sit for long periods in his soiled underwear. Several other families have come forward with similar concerns of possible abuse.

The situation has prompted Wilson to ask for the Attorney General to get involved. Wilson told KRTV, "If the abuse is - as has been alleged - more widespread, we need a more independent agency to investigate what has been possibly going on. This is a very good school district and what makes the Attorney General's office relevant is, if it can happen here it can happen anywhere in the state, and we need to get on top of that possibility and get to the bottom on what's going on here."

The Great Falls School District says it did a thorough investigation, and calls any form of mistreatment of students unacceptable.

The prosecutor's office says the other claims of abuse are being investigated.

Parish and Kallies, when interviewed by detectives,

MT: FORMER STAFF AT NORTH MIDDLE SCHOOL IN GREAT FALLS CHARGED WITH ABUSE

Story Published: Oct 19, 2009 at 12:29 PM MDT
Story Updated: Oct 19, 2009 at 10:38 PM MDT
http://www.kfbb.com/news/local/64775712.html

Five Great Falls families say they're worst nightmare has come true. They believe their special needs children suffering from autism, cerebral palsy and down syndrome were abused while in school and their conditions prevented them from speaking out. Two teachers aides are now facing felony charges accused of severely abusing the children.

Last year Julie Parish and Kristina Marie Kallies were a teacher's aides in the special needs 7th and 8th grade classroom at North Middle School. Now both face charges of assault on a minor and endangering the welfare of children. There's a warrant out for Kallies arrest but so far police haven't been able to find her. Parish was arrested this weekend and in court this afternoon (10/19).

Parents of the children say today's charges are just the beginning of the story.

"We trusted these people,” said a tearful Tiffonie Schilling, mother of 14-year Garret Schilling who suffers from autism.

Her son is the victim named in court papers charging the two teachers aides.

"He was having water boarding like torture done to him on a frequent basis,” Schilling said.

According to witness accounts during the last school year Garrett was subjected to much more than water torture. Another student says he saw, "the teachers make G.S. [Garrett] eat his own vomit" while a substitute teacher claims Garrett was "left sitting in his own feces for approximately half a day." Garrett is non-verbal, so his mom can't ask him about the allegations.

"A child who can’t defend himself, it’s a huge violation,” she said.

Schilling says the experience is her worst nightmare come to life.

“It’s very hard to think about,” she said.

Today Julie Parish was in Cascade County Court facing felony child abuse charges. The courtroom was full of parents who say their children were also abused.

“I am more than sure he was locked in a closet,” says Trinette Pepos about her son.

Mark and Rikki Saali say their daughter was, “hit with pens…she had a welt on her neck from that and she also told us she got hit with a pan in the head.”

Molly Gillis says her daughter, “came home on numerous occasions with bruises, bit marks, burnt fingertips, missing hair.“

So far five families are pursuing charges but 12 students were in class.

“There’s probably more out there and all of the kids need counseling- every last one of them,” said Mark Saali.

The school district says the women resigned after the charges were made and they are cooperating fully with the police investigation.

Tom Moore, Assistant Superintendent of the Great Falls School District says, “The district is saddened by this. We don’t condone mistreatment of students that’s not what were about in Great Falls Public Schools at all and as soon as we get reports or information about these kinds of things we investigate them thoroughly and if need be turn over information to the authorities.”

Parish has posted a $5,000 bond and is back in the community. If convicted the teacher’s aides face a maximum of five and half years in prison. Parish is expected to answer to the charges in two weeks.

The Cascade County Attorney's Office adds the investigation remains ongoing and more charges could follow.