This petition is based on documented experiences and is intended to advocate for systemic reform, not to defame or target individuals.

For too long, Pearland Independent School District (PISD) has hidden a troubling pattern: students with autism and other disabilities are being systematically pushed out of schools, funneled into punitive alternative programs, and ultimately into the juvenile justice system.

My son, Camren, experienced this firsthand. Camren is a brilliant, resilient student who has excelled academically and personally, scoring near perfect on standardized tests, advancing in state construction competitions, and persevering through challenges as an autistic teen.

But on September 17, 2025, Camren was deliberately targeted as a victim of rage baiting. A peer dumped pencil shavings down the inside of his hoodie, knowing this would trigger his sensory response. The sharp texture and irritation against his skin caused an immediate sensory attack, a flood of overwhelming physical and neurological distress that his body could not regulate.

This was not a prank. It was intentional and calculated. The student even admitted in front of a classroom of students that he intended to “rage bait Camren.”

As Camren’s nervous system went into fight-or-flight mode, he lost the ability to regulate emotions or recall details of the event. His meltdown was a direct result of this assault on his sensory system. There was no adult supervision in the classroom or in the hallway where the incident spilled over and became physical. 

Yet instead of protecting him, the district treated him as the aggressor. Administrators suspended him, discussed sending him to the Alternative Learning Academy (ALA), and began framing that placement directly to Camren before I could arrive on campus.

This was not only premature, it was intimidating. Framing ALA as a foregone conclusion to a vulnerable autistic student, alone and without his parent or advocate present, stripped Camren of his voice and bypassed his legal protections. It signaled to him that the decision had already been made, long before the required Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) could even take place, in direct violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

A Pattern of Intimidation
What happened to Camren is not just about one meeting or one incident. It reflects a broader pattern in Pearland ISD’s approach to students with disabilities: pressure, intimidation, and exclusion.

Too often, autistic and neurodivergent students are confronted with disciplinary threats before their parents can arrive to advocate for them. In Camren’s case, administrators began framing ALA placement directly to him, an overwhelmed autistic teenager, without his parent present. This practice is not only unethical, it undermines the student’s legal protections and due process rights.

This sends a chilling message: that autistic students have no real say in their education, and that decisions about their futures will be made without them or their families.

This pattern of intimidation serves to silence families, discourage parents from challenging decisions, and fast-track students with autism into restrictive, punitive environments. It is a systemic problem that demands urgent accountability.

Systemic Failures in Pearland ISD
Camren’s experience highlights how Pearland ISD mishandles autistic and neurodivergent students:

• Lack of dedicated autism programs, leaving students in overloaded case manager programs.

• Default to exclusion, removing students from schools to ALA, then escalating them to the Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP).

• Failure to implement IEPs and BIPs, punishing disability-related behaviors instead of providing the legally required supports.

This is part of a larger school-to-prison pipeline that criminalizes disability. Students lose IEP progress, are isolated from peers, and are traumatized by being punished for their disability.

The Law Is Clear
IDEA protects students from being disciplined for disability-related behaviors and requires education in the least restrictive environment.

Section 504 and the ADA prohibit discrimination and guarantee equal access.
FAPE ensures every student is entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education. 

Pearland ISD is violating these protections, and families like mine are paying the price.

Pearland ISD must:

• Acknowledge systemic failures like Camren’s case.
• Provide mandatory staff and administrator training on autism, sensory needs, and bullying tactics such as rage baiting.
• Implement IEPs and BIPs consistently, without shortcuts or illegal placement discussions.
• End the funneling of neurodivergent students into ALA and JJAEP.
• Ensure transparency and accountability in all special education discipline decisions.

A Call to Action

Camren is more than a statistic. He is proof that autistic and neurodivergent students can thrive when supported. But Pearland ISD’s current practices strip students of their dignity, progress, and future.

This is a civil rights issue, not just an education issue. No child should be punished for their disability.

📢 We urge parents, advocates, and community members to stand with us. Demand accountability. Demand reform. Demand equity for every student in Pearland ISD.

Sign the petition to call on Pearland ISD to stop criminalizing disability and start supporting the students it is legally and morally obligated to serve.