A teacher at a Texas elementary school appeared to slam a 5-year-old autistic boy to the ground and allegedly fractured his ankle while a second is accused of kicking him, according to footage.
Surveillance videos obtained by KHOU 11 News show the boy, not identified, at Wild Peach Elementary School in Texas. In the first clip, a teacher appears to lift the boy and slam him to the ground. The same teacher appeared to drop the boy less than an hour prior, according to footage. In a third clip, another teacher appears to kick the boy’s injured ankle to try and force him to walk.
The boy’s mother, Guadalupe Rodriguez, told KHOU 11 News that her son, who is autistic and nonverbal, returned home with a limp. Rodriguez said she transported him to urgent care and learned he had a fracture and a sprained ankle. She went to Wild Peach Elementary School looking for answers and allegedly saw the footage.
“This is trauma that my son and I will carry forever,” she said. “I dropped to my knees and cried, because I didn’t expect to see that. I wasn’t expecting to see my son be treated in such a manner.”
The Columbia-Brazoria Independent School District (ISD) confirmed they fired the instructors allegedly connected the the footage, KHOU 11 News reported. The school district also informed the Texas Education Agency about the matter while its police department contacted the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office, a letter from Wild Peach Elementary School Principal Anne Cohea and obtained by the outlet said.
Rodriguez said she remains unsatisfied with how the alleged assailants have been handled.
“Part of me is relieved, but I’m not satisfied with the way they’re handling this at all. Neither of them are behind bars. They’re still walking free,” Rodriguez told KHOU 11 News. She said her son has not gone back to Wild Peach Elementary School and she is looking at legal possibilities. (RELATED: Train Rider Sets Woman On Fire Over Argument, Police Say)
Cohea notified parents of the alleged attacks and indicated an investigation is underway in the letter.
“The safety and well-being of our students are of the utmost importance. This behavior is unacceptable and does not reflect the standards, expectations, or values of Wild Peach Elementary and Columbia-Brazoria ISD,” the principal said.
The Daily Caller contacted Cohea and the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office, neither of whom immediately commented.