North Texas mom says 2 Millsap ISD teachers abused her son who has autism and is nonverbal
The parent, Carissa Kozak Cornelius, shared the abuse allegations — calling for justice for her son Alex and all special education students — with a video on Facebook on Monday, March 10. The video, which Cornelius said was recorded by a teaching assistant, appears to show one teacher attempting to slap Alex across the face, but it's unclear if contact was made. Another teacher on the video threw an object at him after yelling, 'Quit chewing on things!' Cornelius told the Star-Telegram the object was an ice cream scoop.
The elementary school where the incident occurred is located in Parker County in North Texas.
The recorded incident happened on Feb. 18, Cornelius said, but she was unaware of any incident happening in her son's classroom until Feb. 28. When she was given notice on Feb. 28, District Superintendent Edie Martin did not tell Cornelius details of the incident under investigation or that it directly involved Alex, she said. This week on Monday, she said, 'I finally got some answers after threatening to go to Fox 4 news.'
'In this video below you can see a small glimpse into the abuse my son endured on a daily basis,' she wrote on Facebook. 'I was also informed my son was given a shower without my (consent) and the teachers have made inappropriate comments about my son's genitalia in front of other staff and students. They have called him names such as (expletives) and many other things.'
Millsap ISD Superintendent Edie Martin said in a statement Tuesday the district is aware of the allegations regarding 'teacher misconduct' and said the teachers involved were 'immediately placed on administrative leave, they never returned to the classroom, and they are no longer employed by the district.' She said the district reported the incident to local law enforcement, Child Protective Services and the State Board for Education Certification.
'To ensure a thorough, prompt, and unbiased investigation was conducted, the District utilized an outside investigator to investigate the allegations. At the investigator's recommendation, the District's review of educator conduct has expanded to include campus administration. Both the principal and assistant principal are now on administrative leave while we work through that process,' Martin said. 'The District will continue to cooperate with and support the investigations being conducted by local law enforcement, (Child Protective Services), and (State Board for Education Certification). In addition, we are committed to keeping parents informed while respecting the various investigations and adhering to the legal rights of the educators involved.'
'The district's efforts are ongoing. We are committed to the students we serve, helping those students achieve their dreams, and the mission of the district to inspire, develop, and educate every student in a safe environment,' Martin added.
An email addressed to parents on Feb. 24 from Millsap Elementary Assistant Principal Drew Casey, reviewed by the Star-Telegram, notes that one of accused teachers had resigned Feb. 21, effective immediately.
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Cornelius told the Star-Telegram that her first contact with law enforcement was when she reached out herself to the Parker County Sheriff's Office and Child Protective Services once she obtained the video last week and learned more about what happened with her son. On Monday of this week, Cornelius said, the superintendent informed her of other prior incidents including her son getting a shower without her permission, getting called vulgar names by staff and teachers, and receiving inappropriate comments.
Cornelius said Alex has been absent from school since Feb. 18, when she was originally informed of an unknown incident in his classroom. She plans to homeschool him moving forward.
'I trusted these people. I trusted them with my son's life,' she said. 'I just want answers, man. And I'm probably never going to get them.'
In the Facebook post, Cornelius calls out the teachers by name and asked what her son could have done to make them angry enough to 'threaten him, assault him, (and) embarrass him' in front of classmates. Cornelius also said Alex was forced to stand in the hallway alone 'for several minutes.' Also in the post, she asked Superintendent Martin why there was a 21-day delay between the incident itself and the sharing of its details, emphasizing the district had failed her son.
'This has left me heartbroken, outraged and fearful for his safety in a place that should be his safe space,' Cornelius said in the post. 'I am coming here to ask for the public's help. These children, especially those with disabilities, deserve better. Alex deserved better. My son deserves justice. Please share this post. Please raise your voice for the children who can't speak for themselves. All children should be safe at school.'
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