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By BOB LOWRY
Times Staff Writer bob.lowry@htimes.com
The Huntsville Times
Madison County board must face rape case
MONTGOMERY - The Alabama Supreme Court on Friday refused to dismiss the Madison County Board of Education as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by girl who claimed she was raped in 2002, when she was 11 years old, by her physical education teacher.
However, the high court did dismiss the board's personnel director, Jim Nash, as a defendant.
The Board of Education and Nash had claimed immunity under state agency immunity, the 11th Amendment to the Constitution and qualified immunity.
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Parents Outraged Over Discovery at Buffalo School #67
Updated: March 13, 2008 06:40 PM
EDTBUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Parents wanted to give the school board an earful at Wednesday night's meeting about alleged sexual abuse of a student.
News 4's Alysha Palumbo reports parents had to just sit on their hands.
Parents outraged at the allegations of sexual abuse at School 67 took their concerns to the Buffalo School Board Wednesday night, but they weren't heard because the deadline to speak was Tuesday.
For the Full Story, click the following link:
http://farsnewsarticles.blogspot.com/2008/03/parents-outraged-over-discovery-at.html
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Suits ask Mason schools be held liable for teacher's abusive actions
3/14/2008 7:00 AM
By Lawrence Smith -Mason Bureau
The West Virginia Record
POINT PLEASANT - The Mason County Board of Education has been named as a co-defendant in two civil suits alleging responsibility for injuries two special needs students suffered at the hands of their teacher.
That teacher, who is named a co-defendant, has a pending suit against the Board challenging an administrative law judge's decision upholding the Board's decision terminating her for the alleged acts.
On Dec. 19, two Mason County residents, identified only as M.F. and A.C., filed separate lawsuits alleging their children, identified only as C.F. and J.C., respectively, were improperly disciplined by their New Haven Elementary preschool teacher, Katherine Parrish. According to the suits, which are identical in wording expect for the names involved, the infants suffered "physical and emotional abuse" as a result of Parrish's actions.
For the Full Story, click the following link:
http://farsnewsarticles.blogspot.com/2008/03/3142008-700-am-by-lawrence-smith-mason.html
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Athens Educator Put on Leave for Allegedly Striking Special Education Student
By Rich Flowers
An Athens Middle School teacher has been placed on paid administrative leave while the school district investigates an allegation she struck a middle school student. Superintendent Dr. Fred Hayes did not identify the teacher under investigation, but said the complaint involves a special education teacher with 17 years experience and a 13-year-old boy.
“The allegation is that the teacher struck the student after he head-butted her. She popped him in the back of the head with an open hand,” Hayes said. “We take it very seriously. We’re dealing with it.”
The teacher was not escorted from the campus, but has been removed from the classroom. Hayes said there had been no prior allegations of student abuse concerning the teacher.
For the Full Story, click the following link:
http://farsnewsarticles.blogspot.com/2008/03/athens-educator-put-on-leave-for.html
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Teen Says Teacher Threw Him to the Floor
March 8, 2008
By NATALIA MIELCZAREK
Staff Writer
The Tennessean.com
The parents of a 14-year-old boy say he sustained face injuries, including carpet burns and swelling, after his teacher threw him to the floor Wednesday morning.
Donovan Marshall has attended Genesis Academy in Nashville since July, said his mother, Angelique Harris. The 24-year-old private school works with students who have emotional, mental and behavioral issues.
The school's executive direc tor, Terry Adams, declined to comment on the particulars of the case, citing privacy laws. He said the school investigates all incidents.
For the Full Story, click the following link:
http://farsnewsarticles.blogspot.com/2008/03/teen-says-teacher-threw-him-to-floor.html
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Lawsuit: Readington School Aides Failed to Report Abuse by Teacher
by Ralph R. Ortega/The Star-Ledger
Wednesday March 05, 2008, 5:41 PM
Paraprofessionals and school aides failed to report the alleged physical and emotional abuse of special needs children by a teacher at a Hunterdon County school over a two-year period, according to a lawsuit filed by parents of one of the students.
According to the lawsuit, the child was struck, grabbed, pushed, pinched, restrained, assaulted, battered and locked in a bathroom while attending a morning preschool autism class at the Readington School District during the 2004 and 2005 academic years.
For the full story, click the following link:
http://farsnewsarticles.blogspot.com/2008/03/lawsuit-readington-school-aides-failed.html
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Cherry Hi
ll Parents Outraged Over 'Quiet Room'
Published: November 28, 2007
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (CBS 3) ―Nov 28, 2007
Photo Credit: Lisa Grams
Outraged parents attended a school board meeting Tuesday evening to discuss the discovery of a padded 'quiet room' inside a Cherry Hill school last month.
Parents met with school officials to discuss the room during a public meeting at the Clara Barton School on Rhode Island Avenue in Cherry Hill.
The room was first disclosed during an October meeting where parents were apparently told the padded room may have been used for children with autism and behavioral problems.
Concerned parent Lisa Grams used her cell phone to snap photos of the small, windowless storage room which was lined with gym mats.
"It made me sick. It made me absolutely sick," said Grams.
For the Full Story, click the following link: http://farsnewsarticles.blogspot.com/2008/01/cherry-hill-parents-outraged-over-quiet.html
The Special Education Alliance:
http://www.cherryhillsea.com/paddedroom.htm
View photos of padded closet w/description:
http://revpage.com/tips/cherry%20hill/russell_knight_school.htm
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Best Practices in Behavior Management
By Kathi Magee
Courier Times Online - Autism Blog
November 20, 2007
Reprinted with Permission
After several years of writing and re-writing their guidelines on restraint and seclusion, the [Children's Welfare League of America] CWLA came to realize that the bigger problem was that restraint and seclusion could not possibly be part of any "Best Practice" approach. These techniques needed to be prevented and eliminated as much as possible. Restraint and seclusion serve no educational value and these practices injure and in some cases led to the death of special needs children.
The five goals for the Best Practices in Behavior Support and Intervention are:
1. Staff will use restraint and seclusion in emergency situations only when absolutely necessary to maintain the safety of themselves, [students], and others.
2. Eliminate the unnecessary use of restraint and seclusion.
3. Reduce the risk of deaths.
4. Reduce injuries among [children] and staff.
5. Reduce the duration of restraint and seclusion.
6. Increase debriefing with children, family members, and staff.
*Please note: As these goals were written to include children in residential facilities, I have substituted the word "resident" with the word "student" or "children" as necessary.
For the Full Story, click the following links:
Courier Times Online Autism Blog: http://www.courierpostonline.com/blogs/autism.html
Families Against Restraint and Seclusion News Articles: http://farsnewsarticles.blogspot.com/2008/01/best-practices-in-behavior-management.html
To view the photos, click the following link: http://revpage.com/tips/cherry%20hill/russell_knight_school.htm
Photo credit: Lisa Grams
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Shackles case prompts policy change
Published: Thursday, November 15, 2007
By Nancy Remsen
Burlington Free Press Staff Writer
An investigation into the use of shackles, deputies and a police cruiser to move a 7-year-old boy with mental illness between two hospitals led this week to a change in transport policy at Rutland Regional Medical Center.
The change in policy comes after Vermont Protection and Advocacy Inc. criticized the hospital for placing a child in a cruiser wearing metal handcuffs for the 75-mile trip to The Retreat in Brattleboro without medical personnel. The incident occurred a year ago.
For the Full Story, click the following link: http://farsnewsarticles.blogspot.com/2007/11/shackles-case-prompts-policy-change.html
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Mother of boy with Down's sues Randolph, state school boards, school employees
10/31/2007 7:00 PM
By Cara Bailey -Kanawha Bureau
CHARLESTON - The mother of an 11-year-old boy diagnosed with Down's Syndrome has filed a personal injury lawsuit against the school where her son attended and several school employees who were supposed to help him.
Brenda Renee Barrows, of Randolph County, filed a suit Oct. 15 in Kanawha Circuit Court on behalf of her son, Barry Barrows, who attended Elkins Third Ward Elementary.
The suit names the Randolph County Board of Education and the West Virginia Board of Education as defendants, along with several school officials, teachers and aides. Barrows claims the actions of the defendants were "shocking and reprehensible. "
During the 2006-07 school year, Brenda Barrows went to the school to deliver medication for her son. Upon arriving, she claims she found her son strapped in the Easy Stander chair.
"It was reported to Brenda Renee Barrows that Barry Charles Barrows was placed in the Easy Stander as a punishment due to giggling or laughing during reading," the suit says.
For the Full Story, click the following link: http://farsnewsarticles.blogspot.com/2008/01/mother-of-boy-with-downs-sues-randolph.html
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Unlawful Restraint of 3 Year Old?
By Dan O'Donnell
Story Created: Oct 11, 2007
Story Updated: Oct 30, 2007
Click here to listen to Dan's report
For Hasmig Tempesta, it was the surprise of her life.
Her autistic 3 year-old son Zachary attends the Early Childhood program at Red Apple Elementary School in Racine. While at home, he receives treatment from an autism therapist.
"She went to check in on [Zachary] at school and came back the next day to ask me if I knew he was being belted into a chair," Hasmig said. "Of course I said no. She explained that any time that he was sitting down, he was belted into that chair. She was there for an hour and a half and said he was in that chair for about 50 minutes."
That chair is known as a Rifton Toddler Chair and, according to the company's website, is intended to be used solely by children with physical disabilities and not as a behavioral restraint.
For the Full Story, click the following link: http://farsnewsarticles.blogspot.com/2008/01/unlawful-restraint-of-3-year-old.html
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Bus Aide Accused of Hitting Special Needs Child
By TERESA LANEPalm Beach Post Staff Writer
Friday, September 28, 2007
PORT ST. LUCIE — A public school bus aide was arrested on a charge of felony child abuse today after a video onboard the bus shows the woman swatting at a mentally handicapped child and roughly pulling him up by his arm. Belinda "Gail" Daniels, 45, of the St. Lucie County School District was removed from bus duty after the Sept. 12 incident and denied hitting the passive 7-year-old boy. An on-board video shows Daniels becoming frustrated after seeing the boy had dropped his book bag in the floor.She asks loudly, "Boy, what did you do? Get in that seat," before swatting her hand in his direction and pulling him up from the floor by his left arm. Police declined to name the school. Click here for full story.
For the Full Story, click the following link: http://farsnewsarticles.blogspot.com/2007/11/st-lucie-county-bus-aide-accused-of.htmlhtml
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Special ed teacher tied to abuse of 3 autistic boys
September 22, 2007
BY STEFANO ESPOSITO AND SHAMUS TOOMEY Staff Reporters
He is a 12-year-old autistic boy who never learned to speak. The Hoffman Estates boy's chirps and moans help his parents understand his moods. And he has a special touch-screen computer with "happy," "sad," and "mad" faces. So when the boy came home from Robert Frost Junior High School in August, he had no way to explain the horrible bruises on one of his shins. But the boy's parents learned Friday that their son's trusted special education teacher, 30-year-old Patrick E. McCarthy of Palatine, has been charged with criminally abusing three autistic students at the Schaumburg school, including their son. Click here for full article.
For the Full Story, click the following link: http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/569355,CST-NWS-teach22.article
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Lee County Florida School Board Votes Against Independent Investigation
Article By Jason Wermers jwermers@news-press.com
Caitlyn Elders, an 8-year-old with autism, was placed in a brick-walled time-out room and manhandled several times by staff at Pelican and Trafalgar elementary schools, her parents told the Lee County Florida School Board Tuesday evening. Kellie Elders, held up photographs of her daughter's bruised forehead for board members, district staff and media members to see. She said Caitlyn sustained those bruises after she banged her head against the brick wall, an action that is not unknown for children with autism who feel distressed. And for the second straight meeting, Robert Chilmonik failed to get support from his fellow board members for an independent investigation of the district's Exceptional Student Education program.
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