This is going on in public schools!

[Signum Crucis]

This is someone I know personally.

https://endseclusion.org/2025/03/24/hon ... xSJJwzbD-Q

[MySweetLord]

This is unbelievably tragic.

I homeschooled my children. I'm not a perfect parent or a perfect educator, but my heart always ached when I heard or read about abuse in schools. It confirmed for me that, at least for a while, my children were best served at home.

(Sorry for resurrecting this weeks after you share it. I don't get on here enough).

[Signum Crucis]

Thank you for responding. The mother of the little boy is my youngest daughter's best friend. She had surgery as a teenager that resulted in a damaged nerve affecting one leg. She was told she would never be able to carry a child to term, and she would be confined to a wheelchair. She pushed herself and fought hard to overcome that disability, and is able to walk with a cane. She got married and had her son. Her husband was abusive - my daughter actually jumped on him and beat him down to the ground once for hitting her friend in front of her. They divorced. He and his new wife had little contact with his son, leaving him out of family pictures, not taking him on family vacations, had not even seen him for the six months preceding his death. Then, they blamed her for the boy's death, tried to have her arrested for child abuse. He might have succeeded if the teacher's aide had not spoken up and provided pictures.

[Highlander]

Public schools are replete with such stories ... in many ways, at many levels. Assuming the allegation of abuse can be legally confirmed, I think that the civil case will cost the school district a good deal of money. I imagine that the criminal legal system will cover for the individuals involved in negligent homicide, but maybe not.

The impact of a monetary civil award can vary. My deep blue city is self-insured, so monetary awards against it are covered by tax dollars and tax increases; the city simply doesn't care about payouts.

My DW, a former school teacher, and I agree that, if we had children of school age they would be in a parochial school or home schooled. We could not, as responsible parents, put them in public school.

Any followup on this story?

[Highlander]

I'll provide the followup.

A discussion with DW revealed:

1. Such children can be literally uncontrollable and can be dangerous to themselves and others.

2. The preferred method to deal with such children is to call a parent to remove them from school that day.

3. Parents sometimes do not respond to requests to remove the child. Some parents use the school as a relief from the child in their home environment.

4. In some states, there is no mechanism to deal with a child who is uncontrollable and whose parents do not pick him up. CPS may not be an option.

5. Some children are medicated to the point that it impacts their behavior.

6. The school cannot put an uncontrollable child whose parents do not respond onto the street.

7. DW was not surprised that such a confinement area existed

In addition, an article by the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO, May 7, 2025, contained, among much more information about an ongoing investigation, the following:

The week before he died, Josh Sikes had problems at school. He overturned his desk and broke a teacher’s glasses on Halloween.
...
Josh was 11, a fourth-grader on the autism spectrum, with ADHD and an intellectual disability.
...
His mother, Julie Sikes, picked him up early on Thursday, Oct. 31, after getting a call from the school. The next day, when Josh was home on a teacher work day, a personal care aide noticed a bruise on Josh’s leg.

On Saturday afternoon, Josh suffered what might have been a seizure, and his mother went with him to the hospital by ambulance. A doctor referred him for more tests, his mom said, and the family went home. Early Sunday morning, his grandmother checked on Josh in his bedroom and discovered he wasn’t breathing.
...
CPS is also investigating an anonymous complaint against Julie Sikes ... In an interview, Sikes said the claim of her negligence is untrue and that she has cooperated with CPS.

At this point, the story becomes more complicated than than the single POV provided by Julie Sikes. This story does highlight the question of how to handle uncontrollable students in an environment which places the burden of control upon the school.

DW and I continue to believe that parents, if able, should choose options other than public schools. And should investigate charter schools before going that route.