Posted on 09/23/2007 7:43:27 PM PDT by Graybeard58
A six-year-old autistic boy has been charged criminally after an incident inside his school where he allegedly assaulted a teacher's aide.
It's a story you saw first on 9News.
The incident happened earlier this month at Taylor Elementary School in Brooksville, Ky., located in Bracken County.
He is in kindergarten at Taylor Elementary, but 9News was told that due to his autism and other conditions, his mental capacity is the equivalent to a child half his age.
But despite that condition and his age, it still hasn't stopped a school employee there from holding him accountable: criminally.
Whether it's playing outside with his parents, or coloring SpongeBob Squarepants pictures, Nathan Darnell isn't much different than other kids his age.
But two things that do make him different from many other six-year-olds is his autism – and his criminal rap sheet.
"We are not denying that he did what they are saying, but we are denying he is culpable," said Tony Darnell, Nathan's father.
It was just last week when Nathan's teacher's aide, Glenda Schiltz, filed a juvenile fourth degree misdemeanor assault charge against him.
"What human being with a heart would do that to a six-year old?, asked Cathy Darnell, Nathan's mother. "Seriously, who would do that? I know I wouldn't."
According to the affidavit which 9News obtained, Schiltz alleges that on September 5, Nathan grabbed her by the shirt, pulled her backwards and began punching and kicking her.
"He admits to shoving her down, but he says he didn't pull her backwards," said Tony Darnell.
"She is no small person, she can defend herself," said Cathy Darnell.
So what does the school have to say about the matter?
Superintendent of Bracken County Schools Tony Johnson would not appear on camera but did say in a statement, "I believe we followed proper procedures and I have full faith in my staff".
Despite being autistic, Nathan is integrated with all kindergartners at Taylor Elementary.
His parents believe Schiltz and other teachers there are ill-prepared to handle special needs students.
His mother openly questions Schiltz's credentials.
"[She believes] you need to take him behind the woodshed and teach him something," Cathy Darnell, said. "That is her mentality, beat it out of him."
"Most of the time it [Nathan's behavior] is whining and screaming. I am sure that is hard on teachers and stuff, but we find a way to deal with it," said Tony Darnell.
On Wednesday the family went to the county courthouse, where an inquiry was held and it was decided the criminal case against Nathan will indeed move forward.
It's likely then that Schiltz will have to be there.
But until they get a chance to tell her personally, Nathan's family, in the meantime, does have something they want to say to her.
"She is a cold-hearted woman, that she has made every teacher look bad," said Cathy Darnell.
Repeated attempts to contact Glenda Schiltz were unsuccessful.
9News also was in communication with several school board members and none wanted to comment on the matter.
This is all heading to a proceeding scheduled for next week in which six-year-old Nathan will appear in juvenile court as a defendant.
Au Contraire. Wireless Broadband and a laptop provide me wonderful levels of mobility. I could be posting from an Airport, or driving down the interstate (NO, my wife drives while I FReep, officers) or while camping beside a cool mountain stream, or down at the beach, or from a bench at the park watching my kids play, or from the car while waiting for them at school, or my back yard or living room. I could be anywhere. Your limitations are not mine.
And, who said anything about locking your son in a dark room, besides you? Do you have these thoughts often?
NP, I hope you can enable your son to have a long, happy, and productive life, really, I do. But do not think I will silently let you take food from my children’s schoolastic mouths to make it so.
Obviously you have not read all of the posts. Go back, read them again, then post a civil response.
“NP, I hope you can enable your son to have a long, happy, and productive life, really, I do. But do not think I will silently let you take food from my children’s schoolastic mouths to make it so.”
Wow. I’m sorry, I didn’t realize that you were having food taken away from you. Sad to say, that the government is going to tax you either way. Like I said to you earlier, that’s a tax issue, we were discussing the filing of criminal charges against an autistic 6 year old who lashed out at a teachers aide
But do not think I will silently let you take food from my children’s schoolastic mouths to make it so.
First, it is spelled "Scholastic"
Second, everyone deserves an education and to be treated as equally as possible.
Like I said earlier, we will do the heavy lifting. And you know exactly what I mean.
So your basic complaint against my post was that it wasn’t PC enough? Pardon my lack of sensitivity but my point stands: normal students in school shouldn’t have their educations disrupted nor physical health put in danger by the special needs kids.
“Second, everyone deserves an education and to be treated as equally as possible.”
Not only do they deserve it, it’s a federal law.
LOL. I’m afraid we don’t get to dictate to the government how our tax dollars are spent. But I built a bridge & got over that one a long time ago.
Now back to the regularly scheduled program....
There are a number of ways this could have been handled. The filing of criminal charges is not among them. They need to sit down & figure out whether or not a mainstream classroom is appropriate for THIS PARTICULAR CHILD. They also need to determine if the staff is qualified to work with special needs children. And then they can go from there.
Ya, I know, those dang special ed kids. Always taking up the teachers time learning to speak or walk or do one of the simplest tasks that the "normal" kids can do. Maybe you need to see the value that your son or daughter can gain from helping or being friends to a special needs child. Open up your narrow mind and comprehend that those special kids have something very valuable to offer.
You must be a teacher. You nailed it!
Three years ago, I’d never met an autistic person.
Since then I’ve had FIVE as students in my classes (high school).
They don’t belong there - they ARE NOT getting what they need AND they are disruptive to say the least.
We can thank Bob Dole and the insane Americans with Disabilities Act.
“Well, have a nice life, don’t let the door hit ya where God Split ya.”
I do believe you have a problem....google social IQ.
Then when I suggest that it would be different if you had to deal with the unprovoked attacks, you whine.
You are definitely a hypocrite.
I have no regard for you or your opinions, but that's OK. You know that you know everything about everything and therefore have enough false self-esteem to go with your hypocrisy.
[First, it is spelled “Scholastic”]
Ah yes, the spell button is our friend. Good catch.
[And you know exactly what I mean.]
Yes, clearly garbage is your Forte. Or are you lifting something in addition to garbage cans? Weights in the prison yard perhaps? Please do elaborate.
And about that “Dark room” comment; Who introduced the notion of locking your son in a dark room? YOU did.
Sorry - but these kids belong in specialized environments.
The resources simply aren’t there to do justice to your kid.
Do you realize how many different types of disabled kids are being dumped into regular ed classrooms? It’s becoming a damn zoo! I’ve got autistic kids eating their clothes, making animal sounds, shouting out, monopolizing conversations with irrelevancies and on and on.
Do you have any regard for parents who just want a normal environment for education.
Yes - this is harsh. But I’m disgusted by the mess created by the Disabilities Act. If teachers could be frank, we’d tell you that mainstreaming is a disservice to all concerned.
ROTFLMAO! Yeah, they have plenty to offer other students in class. Physcial harm during an “outburst”, irrational behavior, screaming and the maintenance of the self esteem of the special needs kids’ parents who God forbid realize that their precious little darling IS messed up and is NOT normal.
where do you teach.
Wow, it doesn’t sound like that’s the right class for him and the teacher has found a way to get him out of where he shouldn’t have been placed by the school? What is she thinking? Now an autistic 6 year old with a 3yr olds mindset is being branded as a sex offender? Wow, something is really messed up here. And, meanwhile, we’re letting real life, grown up predators out of the system in droves...
It’s not a question of allowing it.
By law - the parents can demand it. Public school classrooms are filling up with a wide range of disabilities.
The goal is total inclusion with no levels (Honors etc.).
It’s utopian BS and, as you can tell from some of the emotional posts here, defies rationality.
If you speak up and say that most of these kids belong in special schools/classes - you are an insensitive ogre who doesn’t understand their pain.
I probably sound awful, but this comes from watching kids have their class interrupted by bizarre behavior because parents insist upon their “rights.”
You and your ilk are all on the same page and we can read you like a book. Your only concern is you.
There is a difference, Kantian, between politcal correctness and common courtesy. I do realize that the difference has been blurred in recent years, but those of us who remember a time before PC recognize it clear as day.
And no one is suggesting that your child be deprived in any way of the most excellent education possible for him. If you read my post again, you will see that I made that quite clear: Disruptive children should NEVER be placed in regular classrooms — and that includes perfectly “normal” kids who are sometimes the most disruptive of all.
I don’t know about you, but if I was a teacher, I’d rather have the quiet, slower kid who takes longer to learn his multiplication tables any day over the normal, but loud, foul-mouthed, and smart-assed brat who knows them back and forth but won’t obey my instructions or keep his seat when asked. Now THAT’S disruptive behavior.
All I am suggesting is that you be a little more considerate before you call these children truly insulting names. That’s not politcal correctness, that’s being polite.
Regards,
“I probably sound awful, but this comes from watching kids have their class interrupted by bizarre behavior because parents insist upon their “rights.””
I’ll give you this much. A lot of parents I’ve met are in denial about their children. As I stated earlier, i haven’t mainstreamed my son since first grade, because I didn’t think it was productive. On the other hand I’ve seen some of these kids make some pretty big forward leaps. I think inclusion is
a good idea, provided it’s appropriate, again I didn’t feel it was appropriate for my son. Now As for parents insisting on their rights, I’d say that’s what they’re there for.
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