Parents of children with special needs are going to court against a public school, claiming their children have been physically and mentally abused.
A lawsuit was filed Wednesday against the Chicago Public School (CPS) and two unnamed teachers by a group of eight parents and guardians of special needs children in kindergarten through second grade. The parents claimed that a teacher, who has been with the Whistler Elementary School for 20 long years, has physically and mentally abused their children with the knowledge and even "support" of the school principal and possibly other staff.
The lawsuit also indicated that the victims, children with special needs ranging from five to eight years old and with various developmental and physical changes like cerebral palsy, autism, and ADHD, had been hit by the teacher with her hand or wooden rulers, threatened with physical harm when they could not complete an assignment or a task and cursed at, NBC Chicago reported.
The alarming allegations came after an alleged recording of the teacher came out, where she can be heard telling the students at Whistler Elementary, "the longer you cry, the longer I will hit you."
The School 'failed' to protect the students.
Some parents stated that they saw "marks" on their kids' bodies and faces, and when they talked about this to teachers and the principal, the reply they received would put the blame on their children's clumsiness, the reason they fell and got the marks.
One of the parents, Candace Bowen, expressed her disappointment towards the school Thursday morning in a news conference, stating that she trusted the school district and the principal and administrators to protect her child and yet they have failed both her and her daughter.
Some parents described the horror of the situation as they witnessed how their children's behavior drastically changed in the prior months and how they are currently experiencing trauma.
One parent shared with ABC 7 Chicago that since her daughter attended CPS, she saw her daughter's behavior turn for the worse - having sudden violent tantrums, throwing herself around, banging her head on the floor, and pulling out her hair.
Julie Hagan, a mother of a six-year-old boy diagnosed with autism, noticed her son stopped eating lunch shortly after attending the school. She also observed that the boy would cry when they arrived at school, not wanting to go in. She also started hearing unusual expressions and words at home like "Shut your a-word up," which she initially thought her son got from other kids, never imagining that he was getting it from the teacher's foul mouth.
According to the lawsuit, the teacher's misconduct has been continuous and ongoing through February.
Read Mor: Preschool Teachers Charged With Child Cruelty After Video Shows Them Abusing Kids in Classroom
Parent pleads for the abuser 'to go to jail'
The Cochran Firm, representing the parents, came out with disturbing photos - a kid's red, swollen cheek, a student subjected to what the school calls an "illegal forced time-out," and a broken ruler, which was allegedly used for disciplinary beatings. Moreover, audio clips were also released where the teacher was captured abusing a student physically as punishment.
Parents were crying when the audio clips were played, according to Fox 32 Chicago.
"Chicago Public Schools is committed to the safety and well-being of our students and takes seriously all allegations of employee misconduct. CPS investigates and addresses all complaints in accordance with district policies and procedures to foster safe and secure learning environments in all schools. In accordance with student privacy laws, the district does not comment on ongoing investigations and/or personnel matters," CPS said in an issued statement to NBC 5.
They further reassured parents that its Office of Student Protections and Title IX are investigating the allegations. They cannot comment on it in accordance with student privacy laws.
Corporal punishment is prohibited as per CPS policy.
Hagan expressed that she wants the teacher "to go to jail" and her abuse to be an "open secret."
