Aide Who Dragged Autistic Young Adult By Ankles Resigns
From WKYC News Cleveland.
AKRON -- An educational assistant under investigation for allegedly pulling a special needs student down a school hallway by his ankles submitted his resignation Friday.
Ingram Myers, 50, was placed on paid leave from Ellet High School Jan. 19 after witnesses said he pulled the student, who suffers from severe autism, 50-100 feet down a hallway.
School leaders and Akron Police are continuing to investigate the allegations.
The student's mother, Denise Fabian-Powers, said Myers' resignation is only part of her desire.
"I really want to see that this aide is not only removed from the school district, but from his place of employment and something is done is criminally, so that there's something on his record, so that he cannot work with this population in a school district."
"...non-certified, unionized personnel"
"I don't have a problem with it (although the unions probably do)"
I recall when my kid was being thrown under a bus - I was told by a "senior official" (paraphrasing a bit ) "...we'd like to help you but we have a collective agreement that we have to honor".
Our kids are like broken toilets - who cares who cleans them up as long as nobody files a grievance. Or has to take a late lunch, or miss a coffee break, or suffer some other incredible hardship.
I understand the need for balance, but when kids are harmed, and "management" can't or won't address it, you know the union has too much power. Not all are like this, and this is not why our grandparents banded together in the mining and factory towns - sat on watch thru the nights - got their heads busted - they were champions fighting an oppression, not a bunch of dinosaurs looking to hang on to some stone age work ethic. Am I being sarcastic? Well, today the union here fights to retain the right to pin all the kid's names on a wall and "pick their kid" every new school year. They fight for the right to take a few weeks to decide if they really like that posting, or if they want to try a different one, and start the bumping chain of events, and disrupt the entire system "below them" once again. And apparently they don't have to fight too hard 'cause they're still doing it. "Qualifications"? It really means seniority, when you peel back the layers. Where the hell are the champions today, when the most vulnerable kids in the system are treated like cattle? I think they're out there, but the dinosaurs have to get out of the way first.
Posted by: Randy | February 08, 2010 at 06:10 PM
It really starts with all of us immediately upon receiving a diagnosis, whether that diagnosis applies to a child, an adolescent or adult, or themselves. Training of school personnel, security guards, and first responders is so poor or nonexistent it's a wonder that horrific stuff like this isn't in the news 24/7 (although first responders are leading the other two fields by a longshot in seeking out training).
I wish it weren't the case that callous indifference and monstrous behavior pervades the world of disability but it does. So I think it is incumbent on parents and caregivers to assume that the highest risk and danger is always the base case when considering autism safety issues. Too many in our community are complacent or have a false sense of security and think that safety is just going to happen.
I advise everyone to reach out to their local police and ems and consider entering special needs data in the 911 system. If you have an eloper, get access to Project Lifesaver or a GPS device, cameras on all special ed busses? YES! (Long overdue) In the classroom? I don't have a problem with it (although the unions probably do). Teaching kids to swim? Autism 101. Above all, advocate in your communities for training, training, and more training.
http://www.autismsafetyproject.org/site/c.kuIVKgMZIxF/b.5058283/k.BE40/Home.htm
http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_safeandsound
Posted by: Dadvocate | February 08, 2010 at 03:38 PM
Correction - The aide was not placed on leave until January 22...over a week after the incident. WKYC has changed the date in their story. As the mother, he was still in my son's classroom when I passed the room for an annual meeting where I heard about the incident. It is a systems issue...non-certified, unionized personnel.
Posted by: Denise | February 08, 2010 at 12:53 PM
I am in agreement with Jake! And with others on here. THis can no longer be tolerated! And if the school administration won't listen, go to the school board, if they don't listen, go to your state Department of Education, and so on! And also, don't be shy about going to the news with your story either! Exposing such behavior to the media (or at least threatining it) might be more likely to make the school pay attention and take action. Don't take no for an answer!
Posted by: Darian (nickname) | February 08, 2010 at 09:58 AM
When I read stories like this, it makes me wonder of it's from the 1950's.
But it's really 2010, and it's sad to heat these stories reported
year after year, for as long as my son was born.
parents need to be filing police charges on these abusers!!
Would a parent of a nondisable child tolerate this?
Until the moral codes are raised, we will keep hearing these stories
Posted by: Allie90 | February 07, 2010 at 12:43 AM
I remember the night I heard this story on our local news. I was horrified. I read about it in the paper and I couldn't believe that the school district would hire this man to begin with. This man already HAD a record of questionable abuse with special needs children. He shouldn't have been working in the SCHOOLS (any school) period.
Posted by: rileysmom | February 06, 2010 at 12:09 PM
This has got to stop. We need more education and training of the people who are working with our kids. I am ready to start lobbying for real-time cameras in classrooms, especially if the students are nonverbal. I have just had enough, our kids do not deserve to be abused!!!!
Posted by: Lisa | February 06, 2010 at 11:41 AM
Our daughter's bus driver turned her special ed teacher into the police for physically abusing 2 students 13 months ago, and that teacher is STILL teaching! This is in Solano Co, CA.
Posted by: Kimberly Pruett | February 06, 2010 at 10:59 AM
This happened in our district by a TEACHER, causing rug burns to the child. Nothing happened. Parents came in, talked to administration and teacher kept on teaching.
Posted by: Karen | February 06, 2010 at 08:57 AM
Now that is someone who needs to be struck off.
Posted by: Jake Crosby | February 06, 2010 at 08:20 AM