An Open Letter to Tennesseans about Abuse of Schoolchildren
From Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education
It has come to our attention that the Memphis Academy for Health Sciences, a charter school in Memphis, Tennessee, has a discipline policy involving a public buttocks-beating ritual. The event occurs weekly. Viewers include children enrolled at the school. The ostensible purpose of this activity is to discourage student misbehavior. The effects on children, however, according to the overwhelming preponderance of research-based evidence, are exactly the opposite. An authoritative resource on this subject can be found on the Web site of the Family Research Laboratory, University of New Hampshire. See: http://pubpages.unh.edu/~mas2/.
We believe that corporal punishment at MAHS is a just-under-the-radar form of lewd entertainment of the kind one encounters in venues targeting adult-only audiences. Hitting children on the buttocks with a board has nothing to do with education or improving children’s behavior, and not one teacher training program in Tennessee instructs future teachers in the correct method for doing it. In addition to the psychological damage it causes, the risk of serious physical injury is high. Typical injuries to schoolchildren resulting from school corporal punishment can be viewed on this Web page: www.nospank.net/violatn.htm (WARNING: Some viewers find these images profoundly disturbing. Do not upon this page if children are present.)
We wish to remind Tennesseans who are concerned about the quality of education in their state that the habit of child beating closely correlates with high rates of school drop-out, poverty, illiteracy, domestic violence and crime. We believe the schools should be setting a better standard.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jordan Riak, Exec. Dir., Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education (PTAVE); P.O. Box 1033, Alamo, CA 94507; Tel: 925-831-1661; On the Web at www.nospank.net
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
CT: Teacher made boy eat from garbage
67-year-old Conn. teacher arrested on a charge of risk of injury to a minor
updated 8:58 a.m. ET, Wed., March. 18, 2009
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29753118/
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - A kindergarten teacher in a Bridgeport school has been arrested for allegedly forcing a 5-year-old boy to eat his lunch from a garbage can.
Sixty-seven-year-old Anne O'Donnell of Fairfield, a teacher at Park City Magnet School, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of risk of injury to a minor.
School officials say the charge stems from an incident last week when the boy apparently tossed out his lunch of chicken nuggets and a banana from the school cafeteria.
The teacher is accused of retrieving the items from the garbage can and forcing the boy to eat them in front of her.
O'Donnell has been released on a promise to appear in court.
updated 8:58 a.m. ET, Wed., March. 18, 2009
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29753118/
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - A kindergarten teacher in a Bridgeport school has been arrested for allegedly forcing a 5-year-old boy to eat his lunch from a garbage can.
Sixty-seven-year-old Anne O'Donnell of Fairfield, a teacher at Park City Magnet School, was arrested Tuesday on a charge of risk of injury to a minor.
School officials say the charge stems from an incident last week when the boy apparently tossed out his lunch of chicken nuggets and a banana from the school cafeteria.
The teacher is accused of retrieving the items from the garbage can and forcing the boy to eat them in front of her.
O'Donnell has been released on a promise to appear in court.
LA: Teacher fired after investigation of abuse claims
Posted: March 17, 2009 11:44 PM EDT
Updated: March 18, 2009 07:59 AM EDT
By Keitha Nelson
http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=10025638
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - A Baton Rouge teacher has been fired after a mother says he grabbed her son around the neck, sending him to the hospital.
The alleged attack happened last Wednesday at Glen Oaks Middle School. Anthony Percy's mother says the school's principal saved her son. In an incident report, Dr. Michael Eskridge said he saw a teacher with his hand around Anthony Percy's neck.
The teacher, Jeffrey Greenwald, reportedly had the 13-year-old pressed against the doorway of a classroom. "He just choked me," Percy said. "Then, when the principal came, he said, 'You can't do that to a child.' And then he said, 'Oh, I'm sorry.'"
Sheleith Givens says her son's name was not on a list to get into the classroom where Greenwald stood checking names. It's not clear exactly what led to the alleged choking. Givens says she simply can't believe it. "'Cause, when I let my children out in the morning to go to school, I'm expecting they're in care, like they're in care with me."
Percy's neck is currently tilted to the right because, according to doctor reports, his neck was strained and muscle fibers were stretched out of place. "My other teachers would never do that to me. He's the only one," said Percy.
Givens says she's grateful Eskridge stepped in and helped her son, but even though Greenwald has been fired, she believes more needs to be done. "I'm not satisfied with him just getting laid off," she said. "It's easy. He'll find another job. My concern is will he ever try to do this to another child."
Annie Morrison, the school's spokesperson with Advance Baton Rouge, says an investigation was conducted immediately after the incident. She says Greenwald was put on leave and after the investigation was complete, he was fired.
Updated: March 18, 2009 07:59 AM EDT
By Keitha Nelson
http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?S=10025638
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - A Baton Rouge teacher has been fired after a mother says he grabbed her son around the neck, sending him to the hospital.
The alleged attack happened last Wednesday at Glen Oaks Middle School. Anthony Percy's mother says the school's principal saved her son. In an incident report, Dr. Michael Eskridge said he saw a teacher with his hand around Anthony Percy's neck.
The teacher, Jeffrey Greenwald, reportedly had the 13-year-old pressed against the doorway of a classroom. "He just choked me," Percy said. "Then, when the principal came, he said, 'You can't do that to a child.' And then he said, 'Oh, I'm sorry.'"
Sheleith Givens says her son's name was not on a list to get into the classroom where Greenwald stood checking names. It's not clear exactly what led to the alleged choking. Givens says she simply can't believe it. "'Cause, when I let my children out in the morning to go to school, I'm expecting they're in care, like they're in care with me."
Percy's neck is currently tilted to the right because, according to doctor reports, his neck was strained and muscle fibers were stretched out of place. "My other teachers would never do that to me. He's the only one," said Percy.
Givens says she's grateful Eskridge stepped in and helped her son, but even though Greenwald has been fired, she believes more needs to be done. "I'm not satisfied with him just getting laid off," she said. "It's easy. He'll find another job. My concern is will he ever try to do this to another child."
Annie Morrison, the school's spokesperson with Advance Baton Rouge, says an investigation was conducted immediately after the incident. She says Greenwald was put on leave and after the investigation was complete, he was fired.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
TN: Child Bruised From Teacher's Paddling
/17/2009 Reported By Jonathan Martin
LAFAYETTE, Tenn. -- A kindergarten teacher in Macon County has been suspended for a week after her bosses said she paddled a girl so hard it left bruises.
Video: Teacher Suspended After Child Bruised
Micky Biggers said he has never had a problem with his 5-year-old daughter, Courtney, being spanked at school if she is acting up, but feels what happened to her was far beyond corporal punishment.
"There were bruises on her butt. What did they do to her?" asked Biggers.
Courtney is in kindergarten at Fairlane Elementary in Lafayette. School officials said last Thursday the child was misbehaving and making barking noises in the cafeteria.
The child's teacher, Teresa Gregory, paddled her, but minutes later another teacher reportedly overheard Courtney tell her classmate the first spanking didn't even hurt.
Gregory then paddled her again, this time so hard that bruises were left on the girl's bottom.
Her father took cell phone photos to prove the child’s injuries.
"Common sense would tell you if somebody says it doesn’t hurt, you don’t continue to whoop them until it does," said Biggers.
Macon County Director of Schools Darrel Law admits the teacher used poor judgment and may have acted out of anger. He said the girl should not have been paddled a second time.
"The bruises initiated because of the second paddling, and she didn't have any intention to bruise a child at all," said Law.
Gregory has been suspended for five days without pay, but Biggers said that is a slap on the wrist.
He said his daughter is now afraid to go to school.
"If I was to abuse my child, or someone else was to abuse my child, they would be behind bars. They would be picked up for abuse or assault," said Biggers.
Gregory apologized to the girl's parents and Courtney has been removed from her class.
Lafayette police are investigating the case. The district attorney will decide whether the teacher faces any criminal charges.
The Macon County school board plans to meet next month to review the district's policies on corporal punishment.
LAFAYETTE, Tenn. -- A kindergarten teacher in Macon County has been suspended for a week after her bosses said she paddled a girl so hard it left bruises.
Video: Teacher Suspended After Child Bruised
Micky Biggers said he has never had a problem with his 5-year-old daughter, Courtney, being spanked at school if she is acting up, but feels what happened to her was far beyond corporal punishment.
"There were bruises on her butt. What did they do to her?" asked Biggers.
Courtney is in kindergarten at Fairlane Elementary in Lafayette. School officials said last Thursday the child was misbehaving and making barking noises in the cafeteria.
The child's teacher, Teresa Gregory, paddled her, but minutes later another teacher reportedly overheard Courtney tell her classmate the first spanking didn't even hurt.
Gregory then paddled her again, this time so hard that bruises were left on the girl's bottom.
Her father took cell phone photos to prove the child’s injuries.
"Common sense would tell you if somebody says it doesn’t hurt, you don’t continue to whoop them until it does," said Biggers.
Macon County Director of Schools Darrel Law admits the teacher used poor judgment and may have acted out of anger. He said the girl should not have been paddled a second time.
"The bruises initiated because of the second paddling, and she didn't have any intention to bruise a child at all," said Law.
Gregory has been suspended for five days without pay, but Biggers said that is a slap on the wrist.
He said his daughter is now afraid to go to school.
"If I was to abuse my child, or someone else was to abuse my child, they would be behind bars. They would be picked up for abuse or assault," said Biggers.
Gregory apologized to the girl's parents and Courtney has been removed from her class.
Lafayette police are investigating the case. The district attorney will decide whether the teacher faces any criminal charges.
The Macon County school board plans to meet next month to review the district's policies on corporal punishment.
IN: Parents of special-ed child file federal lawsuit against HSE
By Tania E. Lopez
Posted: March 17, 2009
http://www.indystar.com/article/20090317/LOCAL0102/903170311/1015/LOCAL01
The parents of a former Hamilton Southeastern special education student -- who they claim was denied access to additional kindergarten sessions as doctors recommended --have taken their fight to federal court.
On Feb. 11, the Indiana Board of Special Education Appeals upheld the decision of an independent hearing officer who ruled Hamilton Southeastern Schools and the Hamilton-Boone-Madison Special Services Cooperative did not have to provide 6-year-old Michael Berns with two half-day sessions of kindergarten a day, as three doctors recommended.
His parents, Amy and Damian Berns, filed the complaint March 12 in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis. According to court documents, the family requested the special services after a heavy cabinet fell on Michael's head when he was at his grandparents' house in October 2007. He was identified as a student in need of special education the following April.
Armed with the doctors' recommendations, the Bernses asked for Michael to attend a morning kindergarten session and a duplicate afternoon session to reaffirm the lessons and help offset memory loss caused by the traumatic brain injury.
The district did not agree with the doctors, court documents show.
Instead, Fishers-based HSE developed an individualized education plan for Michael and would not enroll him in both sessions of kindergarten.
The Bernses requested mediation; the district declined.
The family then went through an unsuccessful case conference followed by the state's due process hearing, where the hearing officer sided with the school, despite the officer finding procedural errors committed by the school and the Carmel-based cooperative.
In federal filing, the Bernses charge Michael as a child with a disability was denied his right to a "free and appropriate public education" as guaranteed by the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and they are seeking reimbursement for the private education they got Michael after the district denied their requests.
HSE will have about 20 days to respond to the filing, said family attorney Mitchell Pote.
But the school district's position has not changed, said spokeswoman Marianna Richards in an e-mail. Richards said a quick review of the complaint seemed to indicate that the issues are similar to those raised in the previous hearing.
She said the Indiana Board of Special Education Appeals' decision to uphold the ruling confirms that the program offered by Hamilton Southeastern provided an appropriate, customized instructional plan for Michael.
Since the case began, Michael and his family have moved from Noblesville to Marion County's Franklin Township, where he now attends South Creek Elementary School.
Posted: March 17, 2009
http://www.indystar.com/article/20090317/LOCAL0102/903170311/1015/LOCAL01
The parents of a former Hamilton Southeastern special education student -- who they claim was denied access to additional kindergarten sessions as doctors recommended --have taken their fight to federal court.
On Feb. 11, the Indiana Board of Special Education Appeals upheld the decision of an independent hearing officer who ruled Hamilton Southeastern Schools and the Hamilton-Boone-Madison Special Services Cooperative did not have to provide 6-year-old Michael Berns with two half-day sessions of kindergarten a day, as three doctors recommended.
His parents, Amy and Damian Berns, filed the complaint March 12 in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis. According to court documents, the family requested the special services after a heavy cabinet fell on Michael's head when he was at his grandparents' house in October 2007. He was identified as a student in need of special education the following April.
Armed with the doctors' recommendations, the Bernses asked for Michael to attend a morning kindergarten session and a duplicate afternoon session to reaffirm the lessons and help offset memory loss caused by the traumatic brain injury.
The district did not agree with the doctors, court documents show.
Instead, Fishers-based HSE developed an individualized education plan for Michael and would not enroll him in both sessions of kindergarten.
The Bernses requested mediation; the district declined.
The family then went through an unsuccessful case conference followed by the state's due process hearing, where the hearing officer sided with the school, despite the officer finding procedural errors committed by the school and the Carmel-based cooperative.
In federal filing, the Bernses charge Michael as a child with a disability was denied his right to a "free and appropriate public education" as guaranteed by the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and they are seeking reimbursement for the private education they got Michael after the district denied their requests.
HSE will have about 20 days to respond to the filing, said family attorney Mitchell Pote.
But the school district's position has not changed, said spokeswoman Marianna Richards in an e-mail. Richards said a quick review of the complaint seemed to indicate that the issues are similar to those raised in the previous hearing.
She said the Indiana Board of Special Education Appeals' decision to uphold the ruling confirms that the program offered by Hamilton Southeastern provided an appropriate, customized instructional plan for Michael.
Since the case began, Michael and his family have moved from Noblesville to Marion County's Franklin Township, where he now attends South Creek Elementary School.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
TX: 'Fight club' probed at home for disabled
March 10, 2009
Seven employees suspended at state-run school in Texas; charges expected
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29618496/?GT1=43001
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Seven employees at a state-run home for the mentally disabled have been suspended for allegedly staging a "fight club" among residents.
Corpus Christi Police Captain Tim Wilson says the fight clubs were uncovered when someone gave an off-duty police officer a cell phone containing videos of fights at the Corpus Christi State School.
Wilson says the videos show mentally disabled adult clients punching, shoving, and striking each other while the employees watch.
Wilson calls the abuse "appalling." He says police expect to file charges against several employees by the end of the week.
The school opened in 1970 and is home to about 360 people, according to the Web site of the state Department of Aging and Disability Services.
Seven employees suspended at state-run school in Texas; charges expected
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29618496/?GT1=43001
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Seven employees at a state-run home for the mentally disabled have been suspended for allegedly staging a "fight club" among residents.
Corpus Christi Police Captain Tim Wilson says the fight clubs were uncovered when someone gave an off-duty police officer a cell phone containing videos of fights at the Corpus Christi State School.
Wilson says the videos show mentally disabled adult clients punching, shoving, and striking each other while the employees watch.
Wilson calls the abuse "appalling." He says police expect to file charges against several employees by the end of the week.
The school opened in 1970 and is home to about 360 people, according to the Web site of the state Department of Aging and Disability Services.
MA: Eighth-grade teacher denies enticing minor
Updated: 03/07/2009 08:14:15 AM EST
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/northeastnews/ci_11860259
Saturday, March 07
An eighth-grade teacher who allegedly fled Massachusetts with a 15-year-old male student during school vacation has pleaded not guilty to a charge of enticing a minor.
Lisa Lavoie was arraigned Friday in Holyoke District Court. Judge Kenneth Cote set her bail at $25,000 and ordered Lavoie to stay with her mother. Her attorney, David Hoose, said he expected she would be released Friday.
The 24-year-old Lavoie — who's been fired from her job at a Holyoke elementary school — was brought back under police escort Thursday.
Lavoie and the teen were reported missing Feb. 16 and were found a week later in West Virginia. Lavoie was arrested and the boy was returned to his family in Massachusetts.
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/northeastnews/ci_11860259
Saturday, March 07
An eighth-grade teacher who allegedly fled Massachusetts with a 15-year-old male student during school vacation has pleaded not guilty to a charge of enticing a minor.
Lisa Lavoie was arraigned Friday in Holyoke District Court. Judge Kenneth Cote set her bail at $25,000 and ordered Lavoie to stay with her mother. Her attorney, David Hoose, said he expected she would be released Friday.
The 24-year-old Lavoie — who's been fired from her job at a Holyoke elementary school — was brought back under police escort Thursday.
Lavoie and the teen were reported missing Feb. 16 and were found a week later in West Virginia. Lavoie was arrested and the boy was returned to his family in Massachusetts.
Friday, March 6, 2009
The ABCs of Social Skill Development
The ABCs of Social Skill Development
Encouraging children with autism spectrum disorder to socialize.
by Jennifer and Laurie Jacobs, MA, CCC-SLP
http://parentguidenews.com/Catalog/view_227
PARENTGUIDE News April 2007
When a child has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), you know how hard he or she
has to work to achieve academic success in school. But is this child given a
chance to practice social skills, which are also affected by ASD?
Children with ASD sometimes have a great deal of difficulty understanding social
behaviors and interactions, and these skills are usually not taught directly in
school. On the playground and other places at school, there are large amounts of
unstructured time that leave them to sink or swim in a complex social
environment.
They often have trouble:
.opening and closing a conversation.
.initiating peer interaction and joining play.
.decoding facial expressions and body language.
.observing and imitating appropriate social behavior in specific situations.
.predicting and understanding the emotions and reactions of others.
Children with ASD don't automatically acquire social skills that come to others
naturally through repeated exposure in social situations. Instead, they need to
be taught explicitly and given the opportunity to practice, practice, practice.
The first step is to identify the child's unique social skills deficit. Some
children may find it impossible to interact with peers one-on-one; others may
have difficulty in an informal group setting. A professional speech pathologist
or psychologist is critical in determining the child's specific difficulties.
Once the specific problems are determined, a customized program featuring
observation, modeling, rehearsal and reinforcement are the most effective
methods for them to learn and sustain long-term social skills.
Make Play Time Count
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to make the most of child-friendly play
time activities that allow children to teach and practice social skills. Here
are some easy, "low-tech" suggestions.
1. Scrapbooking, today's craze for young and old, is a fun activity through
which you can teach children about emotions. You can help a child with ASD
recognize the feelings and thoughts of others by creating an emotional
scrapbook, featuring magazine pictures and photographs that show people
participating in social situations while expressing their feelings. Talk with
the child about how the people in the pictures are feeling based on their facial
expressions and body language.
2. Fun books and board games, such as Do Watch Listen Say (Quill) and Boardmaker
(Mayer-Johnson), provide social skill development activities in workbook format
that are disguised as play. They encourage the development of skills essential
to social functioning, including reciprocity, imitation and conversation.
3. Charades is a fun game for young children. Have your child with ASD engage in
role-playing that involves acting out social interactions that he or she would
typically encounter in an unstructured school situation. For example, ask the
child to respond to a peer who has invited him to play kickball during recess.
Through this "game," the child can learn the proper social interaction.
4. Read-aloud stories, particularly those that are written in the first person
perspective of a child, can show how someone thinks and acts in different social
situations. For example, if the child has trouble on the swing set, a social
story might explore this situation in detail, introducing the concepts of taking
turns and asking a classmate to play. Difficult situations are expressed, and
the child can learn the correct way to act. For example, if the child in the
story says "It's hard to wait my turn when I want to ride on the swing now," you
can practice appropriate responses and actions with your child.
Electronics are Educational, Too
There are also "high-tech" methods for practicing social situations that
encourage skill development, improve skill performance and reduce ineffective
behaviors by allowing the child to learn through personal experiences. Because
they provide opportunities to pause and discuss information, to replay scenarios
for greater recall and understanding, and to repeat exercises as many times as
necessary, high-tech methods are typically very effective. Specific exercises
include:
1. Voice-recording systems can help children with ASD to identify topic
maintenance, intonation and perseveration. When children are allowed to listen
to themselves speak, it is easier for them to understand and respond to the
specific difficulties they may have in communicating with peers.
2. Television programs and videos that feature dramatic emotions and social
scenarios can be effective in showing appropriate behavior for the child with
ASD. If a caregiver, educator or practitioner takes the time to discuss the
characters' actions and reactions with the child, age-appropriate television
shows and videos can be a cost-effective and risk-free method for analyzing
social interactions.
3. Social training software programs are appealing to children who love playing
on the computer. Games that depict social scenarios and ask children with ASD to
determine what should be said or done next are highly motivating. Available
social training software includes the CD-ROM series from Social Skill Builder,
which teaches children the rules of social communication. In particular, School
Rules! Volumes 1 and 2, like their other programs, use interactive video
sequences to imitate scenarios where children commonly interact with peers in an
unstructured school environment. Programs like School Rules! allow children to
practice everything from the right amount of social behaviors in the locker room
to appropriate lunchtime interaction in a safe, non-threatening environment.
Without the social skills they need, children with ASD may dread unstructured
play periods. But, that is only the beginning of what could be a downward spiral
to anxiety and depression. If they carry their deficits into adulthood, they may
spend their lives feeling lonely and rejected.
There is great hope for these children with the various methods and tools now
available to teach social skill development. By working together to determine
what is the best strategy for each child, parents, educators and professionals
will see that children with ASD can achieve social as well as academic success.
Jennifer Jacobs, MS, CCC-SLP, is co-founder of Social Skill Builder, a company
launched in 1999 to provide computer-based tools for teaching social skills to
children affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Jacobs, along with her
sister and co-founder Laurie, MA, CCC-SLP, developed the software line when she
recognized a deficit in quality products for children and adolescents with
social competence issues.
Encouraging children with autism spectrum disorder to socialize.
by Jennifer and Laurie Jacobs, MA, CCC-SLP
http://parentguidenews.com/Catalog/view_227
PARENTGUIDE News April 2007
When a child has an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), you know how hard he or she
has to work to achieve academic success in school. But is this child given a
chance to practice social skills, which are also affected by ASD?
Children with ASD sometimes have a great deal of difficulty understanding social
behaviors and interactions, and these skills are usually not taught directly in
school. On the playground and other places at school, there are large amounts of
unstructured time that leave them to sink or swim in a complex social
environment.
They often have trouble:
.opening and closing a conversation.
.initiating peer interaction and joining play.
.decoding facial expressions and body language.
.observing and imitating appropriate social behavior in specific situations.
.predicting and understanding the emotions and reactions of others.
Children with ASD don't automatically acquire social skills that come to others
naturally through repeated exposure in social situations. Instead, they need to
be taught explicitly and given the opportunity to practice, practice, practice.
The first step is to identify the child's unique social skills deficit. Some
children may find it impossible to interact with peers one-on-one; others may
have difficulty in an informal group setting. A professional speech pathologist
or psychologist is critical in determining the child's specific difficulties.
Once the specific problems are determined, a customized program featuring
observation, modeling, rehearsal and reinforcement are the most effective
methods for them to learn and sustain long-term social skills.
Make Play Time Count
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to make the most of child-friendly play
time activities that allow children to teach and practice social skills. Here
are some easy, "low-tech" suggestions.
1. Scrapbooking, today's craze for young and old, is a fun activity through
which you can teach children about emotions. You can help a child with ASD
recognize the feelings and thoughts of others by creating an emotional
scrapbook, featuring magazine pictures and photographs that show people
participating in social situations while expressing their feelings. Talk with
the child about how the people in the pictures are feeling based on their facial
expressions and body language.
2. Fun books and board games, such as Do Watch Listen Say (Quill) and Boardmaker
(Mayer-Johnson), provide social skill development activities in workbook format
that are disguised as play. They encourage the development of skills essential
to social functioning, including reciprocity, imitation and conversation.
3. Charades is a fun game for young children. Have your child with ASD engage in
role-playing that involves acting out social interactions that he or she would
typically encounter in an unstructured school situation. For example, ask the
child to respond to a peer who has invited him to play kickball during recess.
Through this "game," the child can learn the proper social interaction.
4. Read-aloud stories, particularly those that are written in the first person
perspective of a child, can show how someone thinks and acts in different social
situations. For example, if the child has trouble on the swing set, a social
story might explore this situation in detail, introducing the concepts of taking
turns and asking a classmate to play. Difficult situations are expressed, and
the child can learn the correct way to act. For example, if the child in the
story says "It's hard to wait my turn when I want to ride on the swing now," you
can practice appropriate responses and actions with your child.
Electronics are Educational, Too
There are also "high-tech" methods for practicing social situations that
encourage skill development, improve skill performance and reduce ineffective
behaviors by allowing the child to learn through personal experiences. Because
they provide opportunities to pause and discuss information, to replay scenarios
for greater recall and understanding, and to repeat exercises as many times as
necessary, high-tech methods are typically very effective. Specific exercises
include:
1. Voice-recording systems can help children with ASD to identify topic
maintenance, intonation and perseveration. When children are allowed to listen
to themselves speak, it is easier for them to understand and respond to the
specific difficulties they may have in communicating with peers.
2. Television programs and videos that feature dramatic emotions and social
scenarios can be effective in showing appropriate behavior for the child with
ASD. If a caregiver, educator or practitioner takes the time to discuss the
characters' actions and reactions with the child, age-appropriate television
shows and videos can be a cost-effective and risk-free method for analyzing
social interactions.
3. Social training software programs are appealing to children who love playing
on the computer. Games that depict social scenarios and ask children with ASD to
determine what should be said or done next are highly motivating. Available
social training software includes the CD-ROM series from Social Skill Builder,
which teaches children the rules of social communication. In particular, School
Rules! Volumes 1 and 2, like their other programs, use interactive video
sequences to imitate scenarios where children commonly interact with peers in an
unstructured school environment. Programs like School Rules! allow children to
practice everything from the right amount of social behaviors in the locker room
to appropriate lunchtime interaction in a safe, non-threatening environment.
Without the social skills they need, children with ASD may dread unstructured
play periods. But, that is only the beginning of what could be a downward spiral
to anxiety and depression. If they carry their deficits into adulthood, they may
spend their lives feeling lonely and rejected.
There is great hope for these children with the various methods and tools now
available to teach social skill development. By working together to determine
what is the best strategy for each child, parents, educators and professionals
will see that children with ASD can achieve social as well as academic success.
Jennifer Jacobs, MS, CCC-SLP, is co-founder of Social Skill Builder, a company
launched in 1999 to provide computer-based tools for teaching social skills to
children affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Jacobs, along with her
sister and co-founder Laurie, MA, CCC-SLP, developed the software line when she
recognized a deficit in quality products for children and adolescents with
social competence issues.
Action Alert: Calling all Florida Parents!
Please contact Rep Adam Fetterman with your stories and tell him what is going on in Florida's public schools!
Anna Moore, advocate and mother of a young boy who was abused in a public school, spoke with one of his representatives & he was shocked when she shared her story with him. She's told him there are so many more families in Florida with similar experiences, but he needs to hear those stories from you!
He is willing to Co-Sponsor a bill to stop Restraint & Seclusion in public schools!
Please email him & tell him your stories so he understands how bad it is in Florida. He wants to help!
Rep. Adam M. Fetterman
http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4457&SessionId=61
Anna Moore, advocate and mother of a young boy who was abused in a public school, spoke with one of his representatives & he was shocked when she shared her story with him. She's told him there are so many more families in Florida with similar experiences, but he needs to hear those stories from you!
He is willing to Co-Sponsor a bill to stop Restraint & Seclusion in public schools!
Please email him & tell him your stories so he understands how bad it is in Florida. He wants to help!
Rep. Adam M. Fetterman
http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4457&SessionId=61
NY: Parents in New York are trying to get their autistic child the educational
NOTE: We can all relate to how an appropriate placement keeps our kids safe and how the wrong placement is a recipe for total disaster. Unfortunately, NY has yet to get rid of Paul Kelly, who has found in district's favor in 80% of the cases that's been brought before him...
Parents in New York are trying to get their autistic child the educational services they say they're legally entitled to. The power of one state official is increasingly being called into question.
One out of 150 children is autistic. So what happens when professionals say that your child needs a certain level of care and the school district doesn't want to provide it? One case raises wider issues about the role of a state official who has singular power over appeals.
Five-year-old Sophia Kealey can now repeat words and phrases, and her instructors at the Manhattan Children's Center say she's improved dramatically
in the six months she's attended the private school for autistic children who
receive one-to-one instruction, one staff to every student.
"She needs one-to-one, or she'd be lost," principal Abigail Szoszun-Weiss said.
"Plain and simple. Plain and simple."
Sophia's parents had to fight to get her into the school because in spite of the report by an independent, world-renowned doctor that Sophia tested at a 2-year-old learning level and needed one-on-one services, the New York City Board of Education wanted to place her in a Queens public school trailer, where the ratio is six students to one instructor.
"I went to see the school, saw that it would just be impossible for her to function in a meaningful way and learn in a meaningful way, mother Patty Kealey said. "I was petrified for her future."
Only one public school in New York City provides one-on-one instruction for
autistic children. And it's in such demand that Sophia had no hope of getting
in. The private Manhattan Children's Center did have an opening, but there's no
way her parents could afford the $97,000 a year tuition. Her father, Tim, is a
wine distributor, and Patty is unemployed.
"Some people might think this school is a luxury," Patty said. "This isn't a luxury. That's not what this is about. It isn't a fancy-schmancy private school. This is a school that is giving her what she needs."
"It's very frustrating when parents see that other kids are getting what they need, that their child needs and they can't get," the family's attorney, Gary Mayerson, said. "It's like being frozen out of the medicine cabinet when you know that there is medicine in there that your kid needs."
The Kealey's attorney sued. There was a three-day trial at the city's Board of
Education headquarters in Brooklyn before an impartial hearing officer.
"He said that you failed to offer a free and appropriate public education,"
Mayerson said. "The parent's program is appropriate, and I find that the city of
New York should pay for that program."
"The fact is, we won our case," Patty said. "We're not looking for a bailout, we're just looking for what's fair and what's just and what's right for our child."
The city appealed to something called the Office of State Review in Albany. One
man, Paul Kelly, has the sole authority to rule in favor of districts or
parents, and increasingly parents are complaining he is denying their children
the educational services they are legally entitled to.
Kelly: "I'm going to have to refer you to the press office."
Eyewitness News Reporter Sarah Wallace: " Well, do you have anything to say?"
Kelly: "I'm going to have to refer you to the press office, Sarah."
Wallace: "That's all you can say?"
Kelly: "Yes."
We approached Kelly after his employer, the State Board of Education, refused to
make him available for an interview, after he recently ruled against the Kealey
family.
"When I found out that he had done it, it was almost like getting the diagnosis
all over again," Tim said. "To be in the mindset that we've won, that we can
move on with our lives, and then have somebody just throw it all away, it's
absolutely devastating."
Wallace: "Do you stand by your decisions?"
Kelly: "Yes, I do. I stand by my decision."
Kelly ruled in favor of local school districts in 80 percent of the cases in 2006-2007, according to an analysis by an independent hearing officer. The Kealeys are now preparing to appeal to federal court. The school is agreeing to defer Sophia's tuition for now.
"The idea that she might just get lost in the system as a throwaway because she has special needs and because those cost money, it's unconscionable," Tim Kealey said.
"Don't stop fighting, don't stop fighting for your child," Patty said. "Because if this doesn't get taken care of and caught early on, you're looking at a real problem when they get older."
A spokesman for the state Board of Education said that appeal rulings are always
decided by applying the law to the facts presented and that any suggestion
otherwise is wholly without merit. --- WEB PRODUCED BY: Daniela Royes
Parents in New York are trying to get their autistic child the educational services they say they're legally entitled to. The power of one state official is increasingly being called into question.
One out of 150 children is autistic. So what happens when professionals say that your child needs a certain level of care and the school district doesn't want to provide it? One case raises wider issues about the role of a state official who has singular power over appeals.
Five-year-old Sophia Kealey can now repeat words and phrases, and her instructors at the Manhattan Children's Center say she's improved dramatically
in the six months she's attended the private school for autistic children who
receive one-to-one instruction, one staff to every student.
"She needs one-to-one, or she'd be lost," principal Abigail Szoszun-Weiss said.
"Plain and simple. Plain and simple."
Sophia's parents had to fight to get her into the school because in spite of the report by an independent, world-renowned doctor that Sophia tested at a 2-year-old learning level and needed one-on-one services, the New York City Board of Education wanted to place her in a Queens public school trailer, where the ratio is six students to one instructor.
"I went to see the school, saw that it would just be impossible for her to function in a meaningful way and learn in a meaningful way, mother Patty Kealey said. "I was petrified for her future."
Only one public school in New York City provides one-on-one instruction for
autistic children. And it's in such demand that Sophia had no hope of getting
in. The private Manhattan Children's Center did have an opening, but there's no
way her parents could afford the $97,000 a year tuition. Her father, Tim, is a
wine distributor, and Patty is unemployed.
"Some people might think this school is a luxury," Patty said. "This isn't a luxury. That's not what this is about. It isn't a fancy-schmancy private school. This is a school that is giving her what she needs."
"It's very frustrating when parents see that other kids are getting what they need, that their child needs and they can't get," the family's attorney, Gary Mayerson, said. "It's like being frozen out of the medicine cabinet when you know that there is medicine in there that your kid needs."
The Kealey's attorney sued. There was a three-day trial at the city's Board of
Education headquarters in Brooklyn before an impartial hearing officer.
"He said that you failed to offer a free and appropriate public education,"
Mayerson said. "The parent's program is appropriate, and I find that the city of
New York should pay for that program."
"The fact is, we won our case," Patty said. "We're not looking for a bailout, we're just looking for what's fair and what's just and what's right for our child."
The city appealed to something called the Office of State Review in Albany. One
man, Paul Kelly, has the sole authority to rule in favor of districts or
parents, and increasingly parents are complaining he is denying their children
the educational services they are legally entitled to.
Kelly: "I'm going to have to refer you to the press office."
Eyewitness News Reporter Sarah Wallace: " Well, do you have anything to say?"
Kelly: "I'm going to have to refer you to the press office, Sarah."
Wallace: "That's all you can say?"
Kelly: "Yes."
We approached Kelly after his employer, the State Board of Education, refused to
make him available for an interview, after he recently ruled against the Kealey
family.
"When I found out that he had done it, it was almost like getting the diagnosis
all over again," Tim said. "To be in the mindset that we've won, that we can
move on with our lives, and then have somebody just throw it all away, it's
absolutely devastating."
Wallace: "Do you stand by your decisions?"
Kelly: "Yes, I do. I stand by my decision."
Kelly ruled in favor of local school districts in 80 percent of the cases in 2006-2007, according to an analysis by an independent hearing officer. The Kealeys are now preparing to appeal to federal court. The school is agreeing to defer Sophia's tuition for now.
"The idea that she might just get lost in the system as a throwaway because she has special needs and because those cost money, it's unconscionable," Tim Kealey said.
"Don't stop fighting, don't stop fighting for your child," Patty said. "Because if this doesn't get taken care of and caught early on, you're looking at a real problem when they get older."
A spokesman for the state Board of Education said that appeal rulings are always
decided by applying the law to the facts presented and that any suggestion
otherwise is wholly without merit. --- WEB PRODUCED BY: Daniela Royes
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Texas diocese to pay $775,000 for priest abuse
3 Catholic leaders accused of sexually assaulting minors have since died
updated 7:53 a.m. ET, Thurs., March. 5, 2009
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29522721/
FORT WORTH, Texas - The Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth on Wednesday reached a $775,000 settlement involving sexual abuse claims against three priests who have since died.
The five people involved in the claims said they were sexually abused by the Rev. James Reilly, who served at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Arlington from 1969 through 1987, when he retired. Reilly died in 1999.
Diocese spokesman Pat Svacina said he could not reveal any specifics, such as the victims' genders or dates of the alleged abuse.
One of the cases also involved two other priests, the Rev. James Hanlon and the Rev. Gerard Scholl, both of whom served or taught in Texas and New Mexico from the 1970s to the 1990s. Hanlon died in 1990 and Scholl died in 2002, according to records.
The Rev. Kevin Vann, bishop of the Fort Worth diocese, said he was deeply sorry for any sexual abuse the victims may have suffered by the three priests, and that he prays for their healing and reconciliation.
Vann said in a statement that he was "committed to ensuring that the diocese's policies are adhered to so we can prevent future tragedy such as that which has befallen the victims of abuse."
Among the diocese's recent settlements is a lawsuit filed by 11 men who said Reilly sexually abused them when they were altar boys. The men received at least $1 million apiece and payment for one year of counseling.
Reilly and Hanlon were two of six Fort Worth diocese priests accused of sexually abusing minors named in documents released in 2006. Those files had been sealed as part of a sexual abuse lawsuit that was settled in 2005.
updated 7:53 a.m. ET, Thurs., March. 5, 2009
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29522721/
FORT WORTH, Texas - The Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth on Wednesday reached a $775,000 settlement involving sexual abuse claims against three priests who have since died.
The five people involved in the claims said they were sexually abused by the Rev. James Reilly, who served at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Arlington from 1969 through 1987, when he retired. Reilly died in 1999.
Diocese spokesman Pat Svacina said he could not reveal any specifics, such as the victims' genders or dates of the alleged abuse.
One of the cases also involved two other priests, the Rev. James Hanlon and the Rev. Gerard Scholl, both of whom served or taught in Texas and New Mexico from the 1970s to the 1990s. Hanlon died in 1990 and Scholl died in 2002, according to records.
The Rev. Kevin Vann, bishop of the Fort Worth diocese, said he was deeply sorry for any sexual abuse the victims may have suffered by the three priests, and that he prays for their healing and reconciliation.
Vann said in a statement that he was "committed to ensuring that the diocese's policies are adhered to so we can prevent future tragedy such as that which has befallen the victims of abuse."
Among the diocese's recent settlements is a lawsuit filed by 11 men who said Reilly sexually abused them when they were altar boys. The men received at least $1 million apiece and payment for one year of counseling.
Reilly and Hanlon were two of six Fort Worth diocese priests accused of sexually abusing minors named in documents released in 2006. Those files had been sealed as part of a sexual abuse lawsuit that was settled in 2005.
WA: Beating caught on police video
Tape shows officer kicking, striking teenager
By SCOTT GUTIERREZ
P-I REPORTER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/401779_schene28.html
A video showing a King County Sheriff's deputy pummeling a 15-year-old girl in a holding cell was released Friday over the strenuous objections of the officer's attorney.
The case goes beyond police misconduct, County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said in a prepared statement.
"It's about criminal misconduct. And that's why he needs to be prosecuted," he said.
The video of the Nov. 29 incident was disclosed Friday, one day after Deputy Paul Schene, 31, pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault in King County District Court.
Schene, an eight-year veteran, works out of Precinct 4, which covers SeaTac, Burien and high crime areas in White Center and Skyway.
He is the third sheriff's deputy since 2006 to face charges on allegations of excessive force. All three are from the Burien precinct.
A detective assigned to the girl's case discovered the video Dec. 1 and immediately forwarded it to supervisors.
The Seattle P-I requested a copy of the holding cell video and all reports from the incident under the state's open records law. A judge on Thursday denied a request from Schene's attorney to bar the video from public disclosure.
"We take this very seriously and we're very concerned about this," sheriff's Sgt. Jim Laing said Friday. An internal investigation would begin after the criminal case is finished.
The girl was arrested after she was caught in her parents' car, which had been reported stolen from her parents' Tukwila home. Deputy Travis Brunner spotted the car driving without headlights about 3:45 a.m. on 32nd Avenue South in SeaTac and pulled it over.
She and another 15-yearold girl were arrested and taken to SeaTac City Hall to be fingerprinted before being transported to the youth detention center.
The P-I is not naming the girl because she is a minor.
The deputies apparently didn't know until later that the girl, who was in the passenger seat, was related to the car's owner.
"We had argued strenuously that the videotape released to the media this morning not be released because it does not tell the whole story of the incident," attorney Anne Bremner said in a statement.
"As we argued to the judge, it will inflame public opinion and will severely impact the deputy's right to a fair trial."
The video shows Schene and Brunner as they escorted the girl into the holding cell. Schene had asked her to remove her basketball shoes, and, as she slipped out of her left shoe, she appeared to kick it at Schene.
Schene then lunged through the door and kicked her, striking either her stomach or upper thigh area, court documents say. He pushed her against a corner wall before flinging her to the floor by her hair. He then squatted down on her and made "two overhead strikes," although it's unclear where the blows landed.
The detective who reviewed the video said it appeared Schene and Brunner had the girl under control when Schene struck her. Schene, who is 6 feet 2 and weighs 195 pounds, did not explain his action to investigators, court documents say.
He and the girl exchanged words. Brunner said she was "real lippy" after being informed she was under arrest and called them "fat pigs."
The Sheriff's Office policy manual says deputies should use physical or deadly force only when "necessary to effect an arrest, to defend themselves or others from violence, or to otherwise accomplish police duties according to law."
Schene could face up to a year in jail if convicted. He has been on administrative leave since early December.
The girl said that she couldn't breathe after the incident, prompting the deputies to call paramedics.
Paramedics decided that she didn't require hospitalization. Felony charges require proof of serious injury.
"If the matter were to go to trial, he could face additional charges," said Ian Goodhew, deputy chief of staff in the Prosecutor's Office.
In his own report from the incident, Schene wrote that the shoe hit him in the right shin, "causing injury and pain." He wrote that he "placed" her into handcuffs and that she needed medical attention for a "panic attack."
He said a "blood filled pocket" formed on his shin, requiring treatment at Auburn General Hospital, according to his report. The video, however, appears to show his shin strike a metal toilet as he pushes the girl against the wall.
The girl told investigators that she didn't intend for the shoe to hit him, court documents say.
Schene had previously been in the news in 2006 after he fatally shot Pedro Jo, a mentally ill man, during a struggle after a traffic stop on Interstate 5. It was the second officer-involved shooting of his career.
An inquest jury ruled the shooting was justified. Jo viciously attacked Schene, trying to strangle him with his own radio cord.
Jo then ran back to his car and disobeyed Schene's orders to stop. Schene said he saw Jo reach for something in the seat, so Schene fired 11 times after Jo ran back to his car.
Shortly after the shooting while on administrative leave, Schene was stopped for driving under the influence.
He had been drinking and taking prescription medication, according to court records. He received a deferred sentence and was placed on probation, records show.
Schene works in an urban precinct with higher rates of violent crime and gang activity than other precincts. Officers assigned there more often report having to use physical force in arrest situations, Laing said.
Schene is the second officer from the precinct in three months to face charges. In addition, a third deputy, Brian Bonnar, was acquitted in January of civil rights violations during a trial in U.S. District Court. Bonnar, who patrolled in the precinct, was accused by other deputies of using excessive force on a woman who'd been restrained after a high-speed pursuit.
Legal costs for Bonnar's private attorneys, David Allen and Todd Maybrown, as well as lawyer costs for other deputies involved, cost the county's insurer $315,000, according to records the P-I obtained.
In December, Deputy Don Griffee was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching a handcuffed male suspect. The state Attorney General's Office is prosecuting the case.
P-I reporter Scott Gutierrez can be reached at 206-903-5396 or scottgutierrez@seattlepi.com.
By SCOTT GUTIERREZ
P-I REPORTER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/401779_schene28.html
A video showing a King County Sheriff's deputy pummeling a 15-year-old girl in a holding cell was released Friday over the strenuous objections of the officer's attorney.
The case goes beyond police misconduct, County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said in a prepared statement.
"It's about criminal misconduct. And that's why he needs to be prosecuted," he said.
The video of the Nov. 29 incident was disclosed Friday, one day after Deputy Paul Schene, 31, pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor assault in King County District Court.
Schene, an eight-year veteran, works out of Precinct 4, which covers SeaTac, Burien and high crime areas in White Center and Skyway.
He is the third sheriff's deputy since 2006 to face charges on allegations of excessive force. All three are from the Burien precinct.
A detective assigned to the girl's case discovered the video Dec. 1 and immediately forwarded it to supervisors.
The Seattle P-I requested a copy of the holding cell video and all reports from the incident under the state's open records law. A judge on Thursday denied a request from Schene's attorney to bar the video from public disclosure.
"We take this very seriously and we're very concerned about this," sheriff's Sgt. Jim Laing said Friday. An internal investigation would begin after the criminal case is finished.
The girl was arrested after she was caught in her parents' car, which had been reported stolen from her parents' Tukwila home. Deputy Travis Brunner spotted the car driving without headlights about 3:45 a.m. on 32nd Avenue South in SeaTac and pulled it over.
She and another 15-yearold girl were arrested and taken to SeaTac City Hall to be fingerprinted before being transported to the youth detention center.
The P-I is not naming the girl because she is a minor.
The deputies apparently didn't know until later that the girl, who was in the passenger seat, was related to the car's owner.
"We had argued strenuously that the videotape released to the media this morning not be released because it does not tell the whole story of the incident," attorney Anne Bremner said in a statement.
"As we argued to the judge, it will inflame public opinion and will severely impact the deputy's right to a fair trial."
The video shows Schene and Brunner as they escorted the girl into the holding cell. Schene had asked her to remove her basketball shoes, and, as she slipped out of her left shoe, she appeared to kick it at Schene.
Schene then lunged through the door and kicked her, striking either her stomach or upper thigh area, court documents say. He pushed her against a corner wall before flinging her to the floor by her hair. He then squatted down on her and made "two overhead strikes," although it's unclear where the blows landed.
The detective who reviewed the video said it appeared Schene and Brunner had the girl under control when Schene struck her. Schene, who is 6 feet 2 and weighs 195 pounds, did not explain his action to investigators, court documents say.
He and the girl exchanged words. Brunner said she was "real lippy" after being informed she was under arrest and called them "fat pigs."
The Sheriff's Office policy manual says deputies should use physical or deadly force only when "necessary to effect an arrest, to defend themselves or others from violence, or to otherwise accomplish police duties according to law."
Schene could face up to a year in jail if convicted. He has been on administrative leave since early December.
The girl said that she couldn't breathe after the incident, prompting the deputies to call paramedics.
Paramedics decided that she didn't require hospitalization. Felony charges require proof of serious injury.
"If the matter were to go to trial, he could face additional charges," said Ian Goodhew, deputy chief of staff in the Prosecutor's Office.
In his own report from the incident, Schene wrote that the shoe hit him in the right shin, "causing injury and pain." He wrote that he "placed" her into handcuffs and that she needed medical attention for a "panic attack."
He said a "blood filled pocket" formed on his shin, requiring treatment at Auburn General Hospital, according to his report. The video, however, appears to show his shin strike a metal toilet as he pushes the girl against the wall.
The girl told investigators that she didn't intend for the shoe to hit him, court documents say.
Schene had previously been in the news in 2006 after he fatally shot Pedro Jo, a mentally ill man, during a struggle after a traffic stop on Interstate 5. It was the second officer-involved shooting of his career.
An inquest jury ruled the shooting was justified. Jo viciously attacked Schene, trying to strangle him with his own radio cord.
Jo then ran back to his car and disobeyed Schene's orders to stop. Schene said he saw Jo reach for something in the seat, so Schene fired 11 times after Jo ran back to his car.
Shortly after the shooting while on administrative leave, Schene was stopped for driving under the influence.
He had been drinking and taking prescription medication, according to court records. He received a deferred sentence and was placed on probation, records show.
Schene works in an urban precinct with higher rates of violent crime and gang activity than other precincts. Officers assigned there more often report having to use physical force in arrest situations, Laing said.
Schene is the second officer from the precinct in three months to face charges. In addition, a third deputy, Brian Bonnar, was acquitted in January of civil rights violations during a trial in U.S. District Court. Bonnar, who patrolled in the precinct, was accused by other deputies of using excessive force on a woman who'd been restrained after a high-speed pursuit.
Legal costs for Bonnar's private attorneys, David Allen and Todd Maybrown, as well as lawyer costs for other deputies involved, cost the county's insurer $315,000, according to records the P-I obtained.
In December, Deputy Don Griffee was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching a handcuffed male suspect. The state Attorney General's Office is prosecuting the case.
P-I reporter Scott Gutierrez can be reached at 206-903-5396 or scottgutierrez@seattlepi.com.
MA: Woman accused of trying to drown baby in toilet; another child’s remains found
By Beth Hundsdorfer / McClatchy Newspapers Tuesday, March 3, 2009 http://www.bostonherald.com Midwest
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/midwest/view.bg?articleid=1155954&format=text
BELLEVILLE, Ill. - A Belleville teacher’s aide is accused of trying to drown one newborn in a toilet after giving birth at a family party in Columbia, Ill., in November, and is being investigated in the death of another, whose decomposed body was discovered at her home last week.
Despite the protests of police, who argued that Elyse J. Mamino put her tiny daughter face-first in a water-filled toilet bowl and left her gasping for air and kicking her legs, child protection workers returned the child to her care until her arrest Friday.
"What more of a helpless victim can you have than a newborn infant?" Columbia Police Chief Joe Edwards said during a press conference Monday. "This is a very disturbing case."
Mamino, 23, was charged Friday in Monroe County, Ill., with the attempted first-degree murder of her newborn daughter, Victoria Goodrich. She may face additional charges in St. Clair County, Ill., after Belleville police discovered the decomposing body of a newborn last week in the home she shares with her boyfriend and Victoria.
Mamino works as a teacher’s aide for the Belleville Area Special School Cooperative. She works at Franklin School in a program with about 50 autistic children. BAASC Superintendent Christy Magnusen could not be reached for comment Monday on Mamino’s job status because of a school holiday.
Mamino was being held Monday in the Monroe County Jail, with bail set at $250,000. If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison.
On Nov. 15, a Columbia police officer responded within five minutes to a 911 call and found the baby, Victoria, in the toilet. The officer assumed she was dead until seeing her move, Edwards said.
"The officer then tried to resuscitate the child. Emergency crews arrived, took the child to a hospital, where it began breathing again," Edwards said.
After the newborn was released from the hospital, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services returned her to Mamino. Edwards said he opposed the move strenuously. His detectives continued their criminal investigation, awaiting lab results and evidence processing.
Information uncovered by detectives led officers to Mamino’s Belleville home, where the remains of a decomposed infant were recovered Thursday, Belleville Police Capt. Don Sax said. That child was born in 2007, Sax said.
An autopsy was performed last week. Police did not release the sex of the baby.
"The investigative information will be forwarded to the St. Clair County state’s attorney for review upon completion," Sax said.
After Mamino’s arrest Friday, DCFS again took Victoria into custody, and she was placed with relatives, spokesman Kendall Marlowe said. Marlowe declined to respond to Edwards’ comments.
The Belleville News-Democrat requested access to the DCFS case file under a new law that allows news organizations to examine files in which criminal charges were brought in connection with the death or injury of a child.
The law resulted from the 2006 News-Democrat series "Lethal Lapses," which reported that 53 children died over seven years while in DCFS care because caseworkers failed to follow regulations, made serious errors or exhibited poor judgment.
One of the 53 children was Vanessa Ingram, who died in 2004 in a toilet in Venice, Ill. Her mother, Jaki Ingram, was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was placed in the custody of the Illinois Department of Human Services. She is not scheduled to be released until August 2024. Caseworkers had taken one of Ingram’s sons into protective custody in 1998, after finding evidence of abuse, but allowed another son, born the same year, to remain in her care. At the time of his sister’s death, the boy, by then age 5, was not potty-trained and was unable to speak.
Edwards said Monday he didn’t know what kind of services DCFS provided in Mamino’s case or whether caseworkers had visited her Belleville home, where the remains of the other newborn was found.
"I don’t know how they were supervising the case," he said. "We tried to stay in touch with the agency."
http://www.bostonherald.com/news/national/midwest/view.bg?articleid=1155954&format=text
BELLEVILLE, Ill. - A Belleville teacher’s aide is accused of trying to drown one newborn in a toilet after giving birth at a family party in Columbia, Ill., in November, and is being investigated in the death of another, whose decomposed body was discovered at her home last week.
Despite the protests of police, who argued that Elyse J. Mamino put her tiny daughter face-first in a water-filled toilet bowl and left her gasping for air and kicking her legs, child protection workers returned the child to her care until her arrest Friday.
"What more of a helpless victim can you have than a newborn infant?" Columbia Police Chief Joe Edwards said during a press conference Monday. "This is a very disturbing case."
Mamino, 23, was charged Friday in Monroe County, Ill., with the attempted first-degree murder of her newborn daughter, Victoria Goodrich. She may face additional charges in St. Clair County, Ill., after Belleville police discovered the decomposing body of a newborn last week in the home she shares with her boyfriend and Victoria.
Mamino works as a teacher’s aide for the Belleville Area Special School Cooperative. She works at Franklin School in a program with about 50 autistic children. BAASC Superintendent Christy Magnusen could not be reached for comment Monday on Mamino’s job status because of a school holiday.
Mamino was being held Monday in the Monroe County Jail, with bail set at $250,000. If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison.
On Nov. 15, a Columbia police officer responded within five minutes to a 911 call and found the baby, Victoria, in the toilet. The officer assumed she was dead until seeing her move, Edwards said.
"The officer then tried to resuscitate the child. Emergency crews arrived, took the child to a hospital, where it began breathing again," Edwards said.
After the newborn was released from the hospital, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services returned her to Mamino. Edwards said he opposed the move strenuously. His detectives continued their criminal investigation, awaiting lab results and evidence processing.
Information uncovered by detectives led officers to Mamino’s Belleville home, where the remains of a decomposed infant were recovered Thursday, Belleville Police Capt. Don Sax said. That child was born in 2007, Sax said.
An autopsy was performed last week. Police did not release the sex of the baby.
"The investigative information will be forwarded to the St. Clair County state’s attorney for review upon completion," Sax said.
After Mamino’s arrest Friday, DCFS again took Victoria into custody, and she was placed with relatives, spokesman Kendall Marlowe said. Marlowe declined to respond to Edwards’ comments.
The Belleville News-Democrat requested access to the DCFS case file under a new law that allows news organizations to examine files in which criminal charges were brought in connection with the death or injury of a child.
The law resulted from the 2006 News-Democrat series "Lethal Lapses," which reported that 53 children died over seven years while in DCFS care because caseworkers failed to follow regulations, made serious errors or exhibited poor judgment.
One of the 53 children was Vanessa Ingram, who died in 2004 in a toilet in Venice, Ill. Her mother, Jaki Ingram, was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was placed in the custody of the Illinois Department of Human Services. She is not scheduled to be released until August 2024. Caseworkers had taken one of Ingram’s sons into protective custody in 1998, after finding evidence of abuse, but allowed another son, born the same year, to remain in her care. At the time of his sister’s death, the boy, by then age 5, was not potty-trained and was unable to speak.
Edwards said Monday he didn’t know what kind of services DCFS provided in Mamino’s case or whether caseworkers had visited her Belleville home, where the remains of the other newborn was found.
"I don’t know how they were supervising the case," he said. "We tried to stay in touch with the agency."
TX: Mother seeking answers after alleged special-ed child abuse
Posted: March 4, 2009 11:22 PM EST
By Kevin Davis
KILLEEN - Maria Morales didn't know what to do when she saw five-finger scratches up and down her child's back. Her son, Jose, told her that his teacher at Timber Ridge school in Killeen had been responsible.
She went to the principal but was told there was no way it could have been the teacher responsible. A psychologist morales had hired said her son had suffered a traumatic event, and now had become aggressive. According to Morales, even KISD employees had tried to intervene to help her son.
"A school employee called CPS to report my son was being mistreated at school. They found out they pushed him and hit him in the face."
After months of wrangling with KISD police, Killeen police, and the school, she finally was able to press charges. That's when Morales said the teacher was given a choice.
"They gave her the option to quit or be fired, and she quit", Morales said.
News Channel 25 spoke with KISD, who released a two-line statement:
"There was an investigation into the teacher in question. She has since resigned."
The school would not comment whether Morales' belief that the resignation had anything to do with the investigation, nor would they comment on the results of that investigation.
Morales is happy the teacher is gone from the school, but she wants an explanation for what happened. Her son has now become aggressive and is one suspension away from being expelled. She hopes that bringing this story to light will help explain why her son is acting out, and to keep her son in school.
News Channel 25 tried to locate the teacher in question for comment but was unsuccessful.
By Kevin Davis
KILLEEN - Maria Morales didn't know what to do when she saw five-finger scratches up and down her child's back. Her son, Jose, told her that his teacher at Timber Ridge school in Killeen had been responsible.
She went to the principal but was told there was no way it could have been the teacher responsible. A psychologist morales had hired said her son had suffered a traumatic event, and now had become aggressive. According to Morales, even KISD employees had tried to intervene to help her son.
"A school employee called CPS to report my son was being mistreated at school. They found out they pushed him and hit him in the face."
After months of wrangling with KISD police, Killeen police, and the school, she finally was able to press charges. That's when Morales said the teacher was given a choice.
"They gave her the option to quit or be fired, and she quit", Morales said.
News Channel 25 spoke with KISD, who released a two-line statement:
"There was an investigation into the teacher in question. She has since resigned."
The school would not comment whether Morales' belief that the resignation had anything to do with the investigation, nor would they comment on the results of that investigation.
Morales is happy the teacher is gone from the school, but she wants an explanation for what happened. Her son has now become aggressive and is one suspension away from being expelled. She hopes that bringing this story to light will help explain why her son is acting out, and to keep her son in school.
News Channel 25 tried to locate the teacher in question for comment but was unsuccessful.
MD: Parents Outraged Over Taping of Childrens' Mouths
posted 03/05/09 5:14 pm
http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0309/601013.html
Prince George's County, Md. - For the second time in a week, Prince George's County students say their mouths were taped shut by teachers in an effort to keep them quiet.
"What day and age are we in when a teacher just tapes a child's mouth shut," asked Fanchon Christopher, a parent.
The first incident happened last week when a teacher's aid allegedly taped a student's mouth shut in the cafeteria of Flinstone Elementary School.
Now officials at Kingsford Elementary School say a third grade teacher is under investigation for placing masking tape on the mouths of seven students. The most recent incident came to light when another faculty member apparently spotted a little boy walking through the hall with his mouth covered in tape.
"A counselor stopped them and asked why and he said the teacher did it, so they brought the teacher to the office where the principal began to investigate," said John White with the Prince George's County school system.
"Tape on the mouth of the kids. What kind of human are we?" said Catarino Lopez, a parent.
Meanwhile, Parents are wondering what kind of disciplinary training the school system provides. The school system is sending home letters with students to inform parents of the alleged incidents and to inform them the school has reassigned both the teacher and aid to jobs away from children pending an investigation.
"Parent's don't even do that in this day and age - it's abuse. It is literally child abuse and that teacher should be let go," said an angry parent.
School officials say if they are found to have acted inappropriately they could face losing their jobs.
http://www.news8.net/news/stories/0309/601013.html
Prince George's County, Md. - For the second time in a week, Prince George's County students say their mouths were taped shut by teachers in an effort to keep them quiet.
"What day and age are we in when a teacher just tapes a child's mouth shut," asked Fanchon Christopher, a parent.
The first incident happened last week when a teacher's aid allegedly taped a student's mouth shut in the cafeteria of Flinstone Elementary School.
Now officials at Kingsford Elementary School say a third grade teacher is under investigation for placing masking tape on the mouths of seven students. The most recent incident came to light when another faculty member apparently spotted a little boy walking through the hall with his mouth covered in tape.
"A counselor stopped them and asked why and he said the teacher did it, so they brought the teacher to the office where the principal began to investigate," said John White with the Prince George's County school system.
"Tape on the mouth of the kids. What kind of human are we?" said Catarino Lopez, a parent.
Meanwhile, Parents are wondering what kind of disciplinary training the school system provides. The school system is sending home letters with students to inform parents of the alleged incidents and to inform them the school has reassigned both the teacher and aid to jobs away from children pending an investigation.
"Parent's don't even do that in this day and age - it's abuse. It is literally child abuse and that teacher should be let go," said an angry parent.
School officials say if they are found to have acted inappropriately they could face losing their jobs.
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