A 16-year-old boy with autism is dead because the person responsible for his safety chose to shove him.

On April 23, Donald Perkins, a behavioral specialist at a Harris County, Texas school, pushed the student forcefully to the ground after removing him from a school bus. Surveillance video captured the moment of impact. Staff could hear a loud thud when the boy hit the ground.

What makes this even more devastating is what Perkins allegedly knew before he pushed him.

The student had food in his mouth. Perkins knew this. The student had a documented history of choking hazards. Perkins knew this too. Court records describe the shove as unprovoked. The student got up and sat down on his own. Then he began to choke.

Staff could be heard saying he was choking. His body went limp. He was rushed to a hospital, airlifted to the Texas Medical Center, and died six days later on April 29.

Donald Perkins is currently charged with injury to a disabled person. A child is dead. That charge is not enough.

This student deserved to be safe at school. He deserved to be protected by the adults paid to support him. Instead, he was shoved to the ground by someone who knew exactly what the consequences could be.

This cannot be treated as an isolated incident. Students with disabilities are among the most vulnerable people in our school systems. They depend on trained, compassionate staff. When that trust is violated with deadly consequences, the response must be swift, serious, and systemic.

Sign this petition to demand Harris County prosecutors pursue the strongest possible criminal charges against Donald Perkins, require mandatory certification and training standards for all behavioral specialists working with disabled students in Texas, and pass stronger state laws protecting students with disabilities from abuse by school staff.

This boy deserved better. Every child with a disability deserves better.