Posted on 08/18/2024 7:51:56 PM PDT by Morgana
A Kansas school employee has been accused of locking a boy with Down Syndrome in a cage and subjecting him to vile abuse, according to a lawsuit.
The individual, named as Albert Bahret, was assigned to the 15-year-old victim as a paraprofessional to help with his special needs, but instead allegedly put him through a demeaning and humiliating ordeal.
Per a lawsuit filed by the child's parents Heather and Jeff Bahner, the teaching assistant also screamed in the teen's face, pulled him by the shirt collar, struck him, and locked him in a utility closet multiple times.
The lawsuit also singles out the Kaw Valley school district and other special education staff, who allegedly failed to step in when they discovered the abuse.
It is also claimed that when the issue of the student's treatment was raised, officials described his ordeal merely as 'how you have to handle him.'
Other staff allegedly discovered the ordeal when Bahret took a photo of the student in the cage and sent it around while comparing him to an animal.
In the Bahner's lawsuit, they allege that their disabled son, named only as CB, was subjected to such severe abuse that his federal civil rights for people with disabilities were violated.
No criminal charges have been brought against Behret or anyone else named in the lawsuit.
CB reportedly began attending St. Mary's Junior and High School in 2022, at which time Behret was assigned to help handle his special education needs.
But the abuse allegedly began soon after, including Behret allegedly locking CB in a closet 'not designed or intended to be used to place students for any reason', per the Kansas City Star.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
There are clearly some cases where mainstreaming into regular classrooms with a parapro to guard the student from hurting others or bring bullied goaded onto snapping and acting out doesn’t work. Some people don’t belong in a job with these parameters. Sad all around.
> When these kids had their own special schools I don’t ever remember hearing of stories like these. <
Those schools had staff specifically trained to handle such kids. Unfortunately, in many states parents now have the right to demand that their special-needs kids be sent to regular schools.
And so those poor kids end up being supervised by unqualified people.
I’m a retired city high school teacher. I saw that many times. And don’t get me wrong. Those unqualified people usually try to do their best.
I recall one case where a student was bed-ridden, and had difficulty communicating. But her mom demanded that she attend a regular public school. And so she did. It was a disaster.
Most the the people these schools are hiring as paraprofessionals are just some schmuck off the street and paying them min. wage. MacDonalds probably pays more in most states.
“I recall one case where a student was bed-ridden, and had difficulty communicating. But her mom demanded that she attend a regular public school. And so she did. It was a disaster.”
That means her mom wanted rid of her all day. Is usually the case with kids like that who really can’t learn.
I know a mom of a severe, non-verbal down syndrome boy who was upset that her son’s music teacher gave him an F. (Really the kid earned a “F” but that is neither here nor there) She asked “how do you fail music?” I wanted to ask her well can her son explain what a bass clef or treble clef is? Or name any notes on the musical scale? Can he tell about any musical instrument? No he can’t. He failed. He was just sitting in class, starring into space, not even knowing what planet he was on. the teacher changed his grade to a D but I would not have unless the principal made me. Then if I was forced everyone else in the class would have gotten a higher grade.
Truly one of the most ignorant and reprehensible comments I have ever read on here. Please tell us the next time you are going to walk on water.
> That means her mom wanted rid of her all day. <
I should have been clearer in my last post. Sorry. I knew the mom. She simply could not admit that her daughter belonged in a special-needs school, and not in a normal school.
Despite the challenges, I enjoyed my career as a high school teacher. But there were many heartbreaking moments. This was one of them.
That's because there was not social media back then because if there was you would have heard hundreds of horror stories, the most defenseless treated like animals.
the failure of PE got us here. FU, Carter
> Truly one of the most ignorant and reprehensible comments… <
I’ll take the blame for that, NP. Please see my post #8.
“No criminal charges have been brought...”
Why the hell not?
LR you said the child was bedridden. How can a bedridden child learn anything? That child sounds like she was so sick that she needed to be in bed! Maybe that was for the best? Make her as comfy as possible? Why cause her so much pain in sending her to school if she is “bedridden”? That is what is so wrong in all of this.
“That’s because there was not social media back then because if there was you would have heard hundreds of horror stories, the most defenseless treated like animals. “
We still had the 6 pm evening news back then.
I know there were “special schools” near where I lived. We would see the short buses go by but we never knew to where.
If they still had them today all of them could be fitted with cameras in every classroom and hallways like the public schools are now.
Really though cameras don’t stop the abuse just record it and that is the part that shocks me. Most of the abuse I’ve seen happen is on the short bus too.
Again, my apologies for not being more specific. I have to be more careful next time! The student I mentioned was bed-ridden because she could not walk or even sit in a wheelchair. And she had difficulty communicating.
She absolutely belonged in a special-education school. But her mom could not accept that reality.
Side note: I have long followed your anti-abortion posts. You are doing important work, and are on the side of the angels. Thank you for your efforts.
“Again, my apologies for not being more specific. I have to be more careful next time! The student I mentioned was bed-ridden because she could not walk or even sit in a wheelchair.”
Don’t worry about it! I got the idea when you said “bedridden”. For what ever reason her mom was mental and put that child through pain.
I spent a few years as a “direct support” professional with some of the worst behaviorally affected. Kid was new, twice my size at least. One morning he became angry at what? No idea but he literally tore a copper water pipe off the wall and was running around like a he had a lance. All we could do was close the doors and hold, praying the security glass wouldn’t break until he wore himself out. He had lots of behavior issues, dangerous ones. It is why his family sent him to us, they couldn’t handle him anymore.
This happened during the initial covid outbreak. We, the support staff, were not allowed to wear masks as it could dangerously trigger some of these people. Couple that with these people were denied their “routine” special schools and their whole regimen was thrown off.
Every night all 16 of them wet their beds, every day the bed linens were changed, washed, and the plastic beds cleaned and sanitized. Meals could not be served whole, everything had to be blended into soup like consistency so none of them would choke, floors and general housekeeping, they weren’t allowed outside unless two DS per person accompanied them. Of course there wasn’t enough of us at the time. Many received medications. I have no idea what kind(s). All of these people were perfectly healthy enough to be mobile.
I can understand why parents do not want their children in places like this. One child/adult in particular I felt really bad for. His chart said he was deaf and mute, mentally deficient. As I watched him every day his work on the computer was brilliant. Loved math etc., but if he wanted your attention he would spit at you, if you ignored he would punch you. In a few days with a few basic sign language lessons he calmed down with me. I am not a doctor, but it seemed to me...he should have been mainstreamed at some point early on in his life. His behavior appeared out of frustration with his world, not so much a developmental issue. But, I am not a doctor.
The pay for a ‘direct support professional’ ...$9.75 per hour. Remember that was just 4 years ago at the height of 2020 covid mania. At that pay rate I could understand a DS having issues themselves. Everyone seems to think these people are highly trained, they are not. Often they are just ordinary people with no degree or HS diploma holding a job to feed their own family. Does it excuse mistreating these less fortunate ones, of course not. But compassion fatigue does sometimes manifest itself in very cruel ways.
I am the father of an adult son with Down Syndrome and you will never know the abuse and discrimination my son and family have encountered, including schools, people with low moral character, state and local representatives, and the willfully ignorant. I am the opposite of a karen and I speak up for the defenseless and defend them at every turn. How good do some on FR really feel by denigrating those who are much less fortunate by no fault of their own. Some need a mirror.
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