When you can no longer trust those who are in charge of your child in disabilities in school and in care... Parents always have to be vigilant but we trust those who win our confidence and yet cannot always rely on that – we need accountability and cameras to really see what is happening when our children cannot speak or say what is happening to them
This August a special education teacher was arrested in Chesaspeake’s public school, Norfolk, Virginia. … It was noted by Michelle Wolf (31 August 2022, of LIVE Now 10News) that three families in all had pressed charges, and the abuse was reported by two teachers’ assistants but it took the school four weeks to notify the parents!
Police officers arrested the teacher much to the ‘relief’ of parents whose children they said allegedly had been abused and assaulted. At least in America they arrest the teachers who hurt the kids even without cameras to prove it – while here in Australia, the NDIS sits by and does little and the police will not make proper investigations without camera evidence, especially in New South Wales.
That is why parents need cctv cameras, for peace of mind, as there is no relief to the anxiety for parents of special needs kids unless they know their child is safe, their vulnerable child who cannot talk, especially if they know their child has been hurt or attacked but don’t know who did it or cannot prove it. There is no relief knowing the police will not take action and that the providers or schools and teachers/support workers can do what they like with your vulnerable child and get away with it never charged never questioned. How could our justice system be so heartless as not to protect those who are vulnerable and unable to help themselves? Not to even investigate.
https://www.13newsnow.com/.../291-6dbf7c80-3602-4668-a214
One of the parents in Grassfields Elementary, said that the special needs teacher, Janice Maw, had hurt and assaulted her daughter, Christina, and “Im not gonna let anybody hurt my kids” The mother, Leemon, filed charges against the teacher in June, and claims the teacher allegedly abused her 11 year old daughter. Another parent, Anthony Myrick, claims that his 11 year old daughter, Milan, was assaulted, also in a wheel chair like Christina, both verbally mute – or non verbal, (13 NEWS NOW, August 31st 2022, Dana Smith)
The article by Dana Smith notes ““It was alleged that my daughter, along with other students in the class, was being abused by Ms. Janice Maw,” Myrick said. “My daughter is totally dependent, fully disabled, she cannot talk, she cannot walk, she cannot speak for herself at all. She cannot defend herself.”
The article notes that the mother of Christina said she did not have physical evidence of her daughters assault but did see a change in how her daughter was crying whenever she tried to hair spray her hair now realizing the teacher had been spraying water in her daughters face. The assaults were reported back in May by teachers aides. However, Chesaspeake Public Schools, and the child protection services believed they were unfounded. Yet there must be new evidence as the teacher has now been arrested. The mother of Christina, notes that both girls could not talk or tell the child protection services what actually happened to them.
The parent of Milan said “Myrick added: “Our family is broken, our trust tin humanity is broken, our trust in the school system is broken. It’s a long way to go as far as our healing is concerned.” (13 News Now, 31 August 2022)
How did they find out what happened to their daughters of two different families, in another article – it was noted that another staff member in the school had told the parents what they saw of alleged abuse.
The both families stated (13 News Now 22 June 2022) “I just can’t believe it. We trusted this person for five years," Leemon said. “I was told that it was physical abuse as far as popping her in the mouth. I was told that the teacher had a spray bottle of water that she would keep in a cart and she would spray these kids in the face with the water bottle when they got too excited. She told me that the teacher would squeeze my daughter's mouth and scream at her face.”
We, as parents, start to believe in and trust the people that look after our children and then when we find that they were hurting our children it is shocking and heartbreaking. I will never get over my son being hurt in a respite house where I trusted the people, by one of the support workers, and then in a day program where they appear to care but really only there for the money.
The mother of Milan, one of the two girls assaulted, said “We made an active decision to send our child to a public-school building with the trust and belief that she would be better off there than anywhere else in the world," Myrick said. “I feel like it’s a nightmare and I’m waiting to wake up. Complete nightmare.”
The GRassfields school knew in May about the allegations of the teacher, but the parents did not find out until June! There seems to be a big delay in telling parents anything. Like a corporate cover up or political smoothing over hoping it will go away. I found this recently if an incident even accident happened in a day program, they do not call you until two days later even a small incident and then when I questioned the one on one workers the young girls involved they didn’t feel ‘comfortable’ with my wanting accountability, so I said they cannot work with James if they are not comfortable being answerable for what happens to him. The manager said nothing.
Again, my son attacked, a year ago at another day program, in a group, even worse, no one said anything I was the one told them, demanded to know who hurt my son and why he came home with bruises from two different providers. They feigned ignorance as usual especially the managers and Ceo. How dare people treat our vulnerable children this way! It is a great betrayal and the worst treachery that they do not care what happens to our children as long as they are paid for their jobs and the organizations make their money, or even the schools. So much for our capitalist society it turns on the vulnerable and ignores their cries for help or the parents’ suffering in its endless greed and quest for money and profits.
Christina Tate’s mother said that her daughter has been crying and trying to tell her mother she had been hurt but could not, and this parent had been close to the teacher for years and now could not believe what the teacher had done to her helpless daughter. She said “What happened? Why? If you were having a hard time, if you were going through some things, if you were getting frustrated, you should’ve called me. She hurt me. She hurt me to my core because we were so close,” Tate stated (Michelle wolf 10 News now).
Tate says her daughter was traumatized and unable to speak up for herself.
“She was trying to tell me and she couldn’t and it breaks my heart that I couldn’t protect her,” Tate said. (10News Now) Myricks daughter Milan was even more vulnerable “She’s totally disabled. She has a feeding tube. She does not walk or talk so she’s totally defenseless,” Myrick explained, “she [Maw the teacher] would either smack her to get her to stop making that noise, and when she didn’t stop, she would do it continuously. When she didn’t stop, she would grab her cheeks and scream in her face. Shame on you. Shame on you for doing it.”
Shame indeed. Noted by 13News article that the both parents Tate and Myrick families want cameras in the classroom.
Don’t we all. The child protection services are looking into the teachers abuse charges again after clearing her in May. What does it take? Two witnesses and they still are not listening but at least she was arrested and suspended. Better than here in Australia. sign my petition so that we can better protect our children and adult children: change.org/disabilitycameras
All the best
Anndrea x
#disabilitylivesmatteroz