Video showing 2 Millsap ISD teachers hitting autistic boy in classroom under investigation
Video shows teachers hitting special needs child
Two North Texas administrators are on leave, and other educators are off the job after video surfaced of adults hitting and swinging at an autistic child in a classroom.
MILLSAP, Texas - Two North Texas administrators are on leave, and other educators are off the job after video surfaced of adults hitting and swinging at an autistic child in a classroom.
The incident happened at Millsap Elementary School in Parker County, west of Fort Worth.
The sheriff's office, state education officials and Child Protective Services are now investigating.
The boy's mother tells FOX 4 it took several days before she learned of the video.
What we know:
Video obtained by FOX 4 shows a Millsap ISD educator appearing to slap at a child in a special needs classroom.
FOX 4 is choosing to blur the faces of the educators because no one has been charged with a crime at this point.
The 10-year-old boy walked away until another educator yelled at him.
The educator appears to repeatedly hit the child with a toy before throwing it at him.
The family says the incident happened in February, but Millsap ISD would not provide any details on the video, only saying it is ‘aware of the allegations.’
What they're saying:
Carissa Cornelius says the boy in the video is her son, Alex Cornelius.
"My child can’t speak," she said. "He can’t come home and tell me, ‘Mommy, they hit me,’ or, ‘Mommy, they’re mean to me.’ He’s non-verbal."
"Our autistic children are some of the most vulnerable among us, and to see my grandson treated that way was just absolutely devastating," said Mark Allen.
The family says they didn’t know about the video until 10 or 11 days later. It was recorded by another educator in the room.
"The person who took the video knew that the video needed to be taken is another indication, to me, that this has probably been going on for a while," said Allen.
In the video, Alex flinched away from the educators multiple times.
"He doesn’t flinch at us because we don’t spank him. He doesn’t get spanked. We don’t use physical force to discipline him he’s at a 3-year-old level," said Carissa. "What good does that do? He’s special needs."
Carissa says working with special-needs children isn’t for everybody, but she says there’s no room for this behavior.
"It takes a very special person. It takes a lot of patience," she said. "And for them to put their hands on my child is unacceptable."
Millsap ISD Responds
The other side:
Millsap ISD says the educators involved were placed on administrative leave and are no longer employed by the district.
The district says it also "utilized an outside investigator to investigate the allegations," which led to the Millsap Elementary School’s principal and assistant principal being placed on administrative leave.
While the district said the educators involved are no longer with the district, they did not say how many.
What's next:
Millsap ISD says it also reported the incident to local law enforcement as well as CPS and the State Board for Educator Certification.
In a statement to FOX 4, the Parker County Sheriff’s Office says it "has an active current investigation." However, it declined to share more since the case involves a child.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the family of the boy seen in the video and statements from Millsap ISD and the Parker County Sheriff's Office.