A father from Brooklyn is calling the New York City to change its ways of training and employing paraprofessionals after his 11-year-old autistic son was punched in the face by a school aide. Anatoly Veltman Sr. announced on Monday that he is set to sue the city for $5 million dollars in damages after he and his lawyer obtained a copy of a surveillance video of the inapt punching.
NBC New York reports that Veltman Sr. made the announcement together with lawyer Sanford Rubenstein after they were able to watch the CCTV footage of the brutal punching incident that took place on Aug. 7, 2014, during summer school. It took them more than a year to obtain a copy of the video.
In the footage, Anatoly Veltman Jr., an autistic child who has a 6-year-old mental capacity, is seen reaching up to punch school aide Milton Parker at a cafeteria table inside Public School 225 in Brighton Beach. Parker, who was apparently provoked by the special child's move, immediately hit him in the head.
Veltman Sr. said that his autistic son obtained a concussion from the blow and is now undergoing homeschooling. He revealed that Veltman Jr. was traumatized by the incident, making him afraid of school buildings. He is also worried that his son would run away if he would force him to go back to school.
"To people working with special needs children, be compassionate. Figure out non-confrontational ways of dealing with them," Veltman Sr. expressed. He added that special needs children do not think the way normal people do; therefore, school workers should understand them.
In an interview with New York Daily News, Parker, who retired from the school shortly after the incident, said that he is not sorry for punching the autistic child. He stated that the punch he delivered was a "reflex" act after Veltman Jr. hit him first. He also added that the obtained video proves his argument.
According to school records, Veltman Jr. told Parker "This table is for whites only," after the black school aide reprimanded the autistic child for throwing a napkin and spilling ice on the floor. The boy later apologized for the racial comment, and then punched Parker. The paraprofessional responded by punching the autistic child in the face.
