During Autism Awareness Month on March 27th, 2023, a devastating incident occurred at Montrose Early Childhood Center in South Orange, NJ, where a 4-year-old Black autistic child named Daylan Wilkins was assaulted by a teacher, while five other teachers failed to intervene. Shockingly, the Wilkins family only learned of this criminal act of abuse 48 hours later, and to this day, neither the family nor the community has received the appropriate and just response to this traumatic incident. The Maplewood-South Orange school district has demonstrated a distressing pattern of neglecting the safety of students of color and those with special needs, by allowing misconduct and abuse by faculty and staff to go unchecked. It is imperative that we demand accountability and justice for our children. Despite numerous concerns and calls for their termination, the teachers who witnessed this harmful act remain employed and compensated by the district, placing our children at risk. No child in our school district should ever endure verbal or physical abuse. If you have a child, friend, and/or family members in the Maplewood-South Orange district, we urge you to join our efforts in exposing and removing educators who jeopardize the well-being of our students. Together, we can ensure a safe and nurturing educational environment for all.

If we fail to take decisive action, the Maplewood-South Orange school administration and local officials will continue to perpetuate a culture of disregard and complicity, violating the safety and dignity of our youth and families. The violent and traumatic treatment of Black and Brown students, parents, and employees will persist and remain unaddressed. Shockingly, this district's track record involves merely placing harmful teachers on paid administrative leave or transferring them to different schools, putting other students in New Jersey at risk of similar endangerment. Considering the ample revenue, such as $179 million for the Board of Education, and other resources available in Maplewood and South Orange, NJ, it is imperative that we demand accountability, care, and safety for all students immediately. Unfortunately, the current reality for our Black and Brown students falls short of this ideal, but as a united community, we will work tirelessly to rectify this injustice with your help, despite the district administration's complacency.

On the day of Daylan's assault, his family noticed a drastic change in his behavior when they picked him up from school. Instead of his usual playful and interactive self, he appeared drained, incoherent, and emotionally depleted. Concerned, his family decided to lay him down for a nap, only to witness his body shaking as he fell asleep. This alarming incident kept them vigilant throughout the day, but the impact of the assault continues to haunt Daylan. Nightmares have started plaguing him, and he regressed back to wearing diapers. As parents, community members, and students of South Orange and Maplewood, we possess significant power to shape our towns and school district. It is crucial to hold our elected and local officials accountable for the safety of ALL CHILDREN. We must recognize that youth with disabilities are more susceptible to physical harm, resulting in lasting trauma such as PTSD. The black and brown students in our district consistently endure trauma that affects their bodies, minds, and spirits. It is high time we take a resolute stand to ensure the safety of all students in our schools. During the Thursday, May 11th, 2023 Board of Education meeting, the employee who hung Daylan upside down was originally up for termination, per the Boards agenda for the night. When they returned to the open meeting,  after deliberating in a closed session in the superintendent's office, the agenda for this employee shifted from termination to resignation. At this moment there are still teachers and paraprofessionals that watched the assault on Daylan take place, and remained silent, in classrooms with students. By them still having access to the school, they create a large danger to the youth in the building. Silence is at times more harmful than the physical harm itself. This is the same town that prides themselves on the slogan “Not in our Two Towns.''  It is crucial that we take action immediately, as it is clear we live in a town that does not. This petition is created for Daylan, the Wilkins family, and every other family in this town that has been a victim of ableism at the hands of this district.