Hello, my name is Rochelle. I never imagined I’d be writing something like this. I’m a parent of a child with special needs in Kentucky, and our family went through something no one ever should. My child was harmed in a place that was supposed to protect them: school.

What happened wasn’t just neglect. It was abuse. It was failure after failure from a system that wasn’t built to protect kids like mine. My child couldn’t fully speak for themselves, and the people who were supposed to help either looked away—or weren’t trained to do their jobs safely.

No child should be hurt at school. No parent should feel helpless when they send their baby to a classroom. And no school staff member should ever be allowed near children if they are untrained, abusive, or unsafe.

I’m sharing this because it’s time for change. We need better hiring practices, real training, stronger policies, and actual accountability.

To: Kentucky Department of Education, Local School Boards, and State Legislators

We, the undersigned parents, caregivers, educators, and concerned citizens of Kentucky, are calling for urgent, life-saving reforms to protect children with special needs in our public schools.

Too many students—especially those with disabilities—have experienced abuse, neglect, trauma, and injustice in the very classrooms meant to support them. From untrained staff to dangerous restraint practices to systemic hiring failures, Kentucky’s schools are falling short in protecting our most vulnerable children.

We demand the following actions be taken statewide and district-wide:

1. Full Background Checks (including fingerprinting and abuse registry screening) for all teachers, substitutes, paraprofessionals, aides, contractors, and bus drivers.
Mandatory Special Education Training for anyone working directly with children with disabilities—covering trauma-informed care, de-escalation, and disability awareness.

2. Cameras in Special Education Classrooms, as a tool for transparency, prevention, and documentation.

3. Zero Tolerance for Abuse – With immediate removal, reporting, and public accountability for any school personnel found responsible for harming a child.

4. Clear & Timely Parent Notification for all incidents involving restraint, injury, or behavioral crisis—within 24 hours.

5. Creation of Parent Oversight Committees in each district to review incidents, policies, and hiring practices involving special education.

Every child has the right to feel safe at school—and every parent has the right to know their child is protected.

The time for silence is over. The time for excuses is over. Our children deserve better. We are demanding better—now.

Please join me in demanding that Kentucky schools finally protect our most vulnerable students.