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6-Year-Old Autistic Student Criminally Charged After Alleged Assault
WCPO.com ^ | September 23, 2007 | Lance Barry

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.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; US: Kentucky
KEYWORDS: assault; autism; criminal; dangerous; education; glendaschiltz; publicschools; schools; specialkids; specialneeds; specialparents; teacher; teachers; theydonowrong; violent; wearespecial
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To: FormerACLUmember

These parents demand that their children be treated as if they did not do any abnormal things. The law usually backs up the parents. Its called the Americans With Disabilities Act. We must not only totally and extremely expensively modify every part of society to accommodate “disabilities” but we must officially not notice where they damage others. My wife is a lo-o-o-ongtime SpecEd teacher. She sees it all the time and her career has been spent dealing with nutjob parents and their nutjob kids. The worst are the Moslem children and their, usually wealthy professional and nutjob, parents’ demands that the children be deferred to in all things.


401 posted on 09/25/2007 3:25:49 PM PDT by arthurus (Better to fight them over THERE than over HERE)
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To: snarkybob
Actually, what I meant was, tax dollars that would otherwise go to the special education budget would be used to hire a professional tutor/tutors if the family did not care much for the special education program.

Homeschooling and private schooling is a sweet deal. The teachers ,the schools and the public students, get the tax dollars of the home schoolers and the private schoolers all the home schoolers and private schoolers want is to be left alone.

402 posted on 09/25/2007 3:25:52 PM PDT by perseid 67 (God is great!)
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To: Steamburg

The lack of discipline in the homes and the legal impossibility of any sort of discipline in the government schools leaves the Law as the only avenue for teachers.
Much of the lack of discipline in the home is a reaction to the government oversight of domestic life and criminalizing of almost all discipline in the home or anywhere else.


403 posted on 09/25/2007 3:28:52 PM PDT by arthurus (Better to fight them over THERE than over HERE)
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To: arthurus
These parents demand that their children be treated as if they did not do any abnormal things. The law usually backs up the parents. Its called the Americans With Disabilities Act. We must not only totally and extremely expensively modify every part of society to accommodate “disabilities” but we must officially not notice where they damage others. My wife is a lo-o-o-ongtime SpecEd teacher. She sees it all the time and her career has been spent dealing with nutjob parents and their nutjob kids. The worst are the Moslem children and their, usually wealthy professional and nutjob, parents’ demands that the children be deferred to in all things.

100% correct. The ADA has had the side effect of criminalizing anti-social behavior by disturbed kids, just as the severe mental illness is now criminalized thanks to analogous nightmare legislation.

It is really, really bad for a 6 year old to be charged. And no judge on earth (except in sharia law) will ever punish this autistic boy. But it may be the only leverage a school has to get rid of a violent kid and his parents from hell, to protect the normal kids and staff.

404 posted on 09/25/2007 3:40:26 PM PDT by FormerACLUmember (The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims.)
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To: New Perspective; DelphiUser
[”Skool”?]

That spelling is intentional. It is commonly used on FR when the intent of the author is to deride the public Skool system.

[And don’t forget his MENSA freepermail to me.]

Why don't you post the text of your FReepmails to me, Einstein?

Here’s a word you can look up in the dictionary: `Profanity`.   Is that what junior’s vocabulary consists of as well?


405 posted on 09/25/2007 3:44:16 PM PDT by VxH (One if by Land, Two if by Sea, and Three if by Wire Transfer)
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To: FormerACLUmember

Normal parents of normal kids have no business putting their children in government schools, anyway. That is child-abuse on its face.


406 posted on 09/25/2007 3:50:06 PM PDT by arthurus (Better to fight them over THERE than over HERE)
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To: TNdandelion

I am in shock of what I am reading from fellow freepers. I can’t not believe people are defending someone that should be able to defend themselves, especially from a 6 year old.
Is the 6 year old 6 inches taller than her? Give me a break. Let them sue the parents if they want, but to charge him with a CRIME is so stupid. How many parents have had their own kids “assault” them? And turn around and placate the kid. I generally think parents overreact to critisim of their child, but a 6 year old is something I am sure no parent would ever expect in a million years. I don’t believe her complaint one bit.


407 posted on 09/25/2007 3:51:39 PM PDT by JBCiejka
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To: VxH
Yeah, but it's the bulls eye on somebody elses target, three lanes down the range. Having a little trouble focusing?

(I knew you were going to say that, Snicker.)
408 posted on 09/25/2007 3:53:01 PM PDT by DelphiUser ("You can lead a man to knowledge, but you can't make him think")
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To: JBCiejka

I sympathize with your view, but get ready for this to become common. The schools have no legal option in some cases to protect normal kids and staff from assault.


409 posted on 09/25/2007 3:58:34 PM PDT by FormerACLUmember (The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims.)
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To: Mrs.Liberty
Looks like there is some Oppositional Defiant Disorder as well.

Well that fact adds a twist to the story. I have a niece who is autistic, a cousin whose son is autistic and I have 2 friends with autistic children and I have never seen any of them become violent. I had a feeling there was more to this story than what was first reported. I worked with a lady whose son had ODD among other things and by the time he was in middle school she had to institutionalize him because he became dangerous. She and her husband were afraid he was going to kill them in their sleep. He had already gone after the father with a knife. Scary. She loved him but just could not handle him.

410 posted on 09/25/2007 4:05:44 PM PDT by panthermom
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To: FormerACLUmember

I understand all that, in which case the aide should sue the system, the school, the law, for putting her in this situation. Not an incapable child unable to defend themselves, or even knowing what they did. If the system put him in there, they should be responsible.


411 posted on 09/25/2007 4:06:42 PM PDT by JBCiejka
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To: perseid 67
After reading your post, I now believe she was a sociopath trying to score points with the crowd that beat up special education students when I was in school.

Nathan Darnell will go from bad to worse.

As the years go by, he will always be excused by two words, "He's Autistic!" He will learn that he can attack people with impunity. He may even say, with a grin, "I'm Autistic!"

Anyone who points out that his attack behavior would not be tolerated in a common dog, much less a human being, will be called names like "sociopath".

One day, when the child is a full-grown adult he will attack the wrong person, maybe a police officer or armed citizen.

They can carve the excuse on that future gravestone, "HE WAS AUTISTIC!"

412 posted on 09/25/2007 4:19:14 PM PDT by LibKill
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To: DelphiUser

So, to sum up your post - Autistic children cannot be held accountable for their actions, including acts of violence against others. It will always be the adult’s fault because they either were negligent or not trained correctly.

No blame on the attacker.

Are we on DemocraticUnderground? I could have sworn this was FreeRepublic...

My mistake...


413 posted on 09/25/2007 4:20:45 PM PDT by TheBattman (I've got TWO QUESTIONS for you....)
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To: JBCiejka
I understand all that, in which case the aide should sue the system, the school, the law, for putting her in this situation

the system: too vague, no case

the school: why what did they do? no case.

the law: policians are immune from prosecution for realy bad law. no case.

414 posted on 09/25/2007 4:29:42 PM PDT by FormerACLUmember (The ideal tyranny is that which is ignorantly self-administered by its victims.)
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To: LibKill

If I had my way public school teachers would carry rulers to swat the knuckles of misbehaving, daydreaming kids.

The kid probably did need discipline not this dumb soap opera. It was a waste of tax payer dollars to arrest a six year old for throwing temper tantrum.

Autistics with oppositional disorders are not the only children who will take advantage of schools with lax discipline. Honestly, I don’t know why anyone would use a school that expects little kids to all be perfect angels and throws their hands up in the air when the children turn out to be stubborn and foolish.


415 posted on 09/25/2007 4:30:31 PM PDT by perseid 67 (God is great!)
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To: VxH
Deseret is still part of the United States, whether you like it or not.

And this came up why?

The purpose of the educational system is to pass on a common base of knowledge which enables this Republic to communicate and function. Mainstreaming individuals such as the one in this thread’s subject article is deleterious to the educational system’s ability to serve that purpose.

The centralized educational system was developed by Communists as a way to control what people are taught and indoctrinate them while they are young. The NEA continues this agenda and that is why only my Autistic son goes to a public school and at that a pretty rare breed of public school.
416 posted on 09/25/2007 4:38:23 PM PDT by DelphiUser ("You can lead a man to knowledge, but you can't make him think")
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To: snarkybob
Thanks, I’ll try it. I’m having some luck with redirection as well, since I’ve incorporated one of those mini-trampolines. When he starts to get agitated I make him go jump for a few minutes. So far so good.

My son loves to work off stress by doing that! He bounces every day for about 20 minutes before school, if your child is verbal, you might try asking him if he wants to jump in the mornings...
417 posted on 09/25/2007 4:42:37 PM PDT by DelphiUser ("You can lead a man to knowledge, but you can't make him think")
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To: snarkybob
We couldn’t get my son to wean himself, now he wears a string necklace with a piece of surgical tubing over it. He still chews, but we’re buying less shirts.

No solution works all the time, mine weaned himself once he had a "Chew Toy" as we called it. he was more embarrassed to have it than to be caught chewing on his shirt.
418 posted on 09/25/2007 4:44:29 PM PDT by DelphiUser ("You can lead a man to knowledge, but you can't make him think")
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To: DelphiUser

[Yeah, but it’s the bulls eye on somebody elses target, three lanes down the range. Having a little trouble focusing?

(I knew you were going to say that, Snicker.)]

I’m just glad you’re not a mortarman. :-)


419 posted on 09/25/2007 4:45:31 PM PDT by VxH (One if by Land, Two if by Sea, and Three if by Wire Transfer)
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To: VxH
I said: [Prove where my son participatign [SIC] in your son's Gym class and having recess with him makes your child learn less.

We are waiting...]


You said: That depends. Is he going to throw tantrums and assault the Gym teacher?

He never has in two years, but even with a normal kid there's no guarentee...

My son does not even have an aid with him at recess or PE, but still in his class for English and Spelling, we are trying to get him up to speed on reading, then comes math.
420 posted on 09/25/2007 4:48:20 PM PDT by DelphiUser ("You can lead a man to knowledge, but you can't make him think")
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