Editor’s Note: We want to make it clear that at this time, there have been no arrests regarding these allegations, but one employee was terminated.
BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
A parent who sent a recording device with her autistic daughter to school at Airport Road Intermediate School, says what she heard on the recording horrified her.
Since turning over that recording to the Elmore County Board of Education and the Coosada Police Department, one ARIS employee has been terminated, but there is an open alleged child abuse investigation ongoing.
The Coosada Police Department has confirmed their investigation regarding the allegations, as ARIS falls within their jurisdiction.
A special called Elmore County Board of Education meeting was held March 4, and during that public meeting members agreed to terminate the employment of a Special Education Aide identified in the meeting as Montoya Cole.
At present, Cole has not been charged with any crime but is no longer employed by the Elmore County School System.
Aside from the termination of Cole, the mother of the child involved told us that one of the employees was moved to another school. A second was put on leave but has returned to ARIS.
“I learned yesterday that the investigation has been closed by the Board of Education,” the mother told the EAN.
The names of other adults in the classroom were not mentioned in the special called meeting, and as there are no current criminal charges we are not releasing their identities.
The Elmore/Autauga News reached out to Elmore County School Superintendent Richard Dennis. He said that as this relates to a personnel matter, he is unable to make any comment at this time.
According to Coosada Police Chief Leon Smith Jr., he is limited in the amount of information he could release at this time, but again confirmed it is an active investigation into incidents reported to his office by the child’s parents. He also contacted the Department of Human Resources which has been in touch with the family. The mother said that she was told other agencies may be contacted as well.
The mother of the child involved she said she is very grateful that the Board took quick action against the Aide that allegedly abused her daughter. However, she has concerns about other adults in the room she says “did nothing to intervene. They just stood around talking.” She said she believes they contributed to some of the alleged abuse and bullying of her child.
Those adults reportedly in the room include a special education teacher and a custodian.
“And why was the custodian even hanging out in the room for such a long period of time?” the mother asked. “Does she have training with special needs children?”
We want to stress that at this time, no criminal charges have been brought against anyone in relation to this matter.
The mother shared information with the EAN, in the hopes that if other parents with special needs children have had concerns, they immediately contact the proper authorities.
According to the child’s mother, her concerns began in January when she did not feel her daughter’s IEP was being followed, and changes that involved safety issues had been made without her knowledge.
Around that same time she noticed her daughter, who is limited in her verbal communication, began acting out, and saying she was “a bad girl.”
“This was not normal behavior, and it had me worried that maybe something was happening at school,” the mother said. “With COVID, we have not been able to visit inside the school. Normally we are very active in her education and keep in close touch with teachers and officials.”
In mid-February, the child’s father noticed a bruise and cut on his daughter’s hip. His child could not explain what happened, only that it occurred at school.
The parents again contacted the school, asking for information on how the injury had occurred and were reportedly told their child had become stuck between her desk and chair and hit a white board.
“That just didn’t make any sense to me, and I made a decision to purchase a recording device,” the mother said.
For two days the device recorded everything surrounding her daughter. “At times, what I heard was absolutely horrifying. I am over the crying part, and now I am just angry. Until she can fight for herself, I will fight for her. My main goal here is for her safety and that we make a point that this type of thing will not be tolerated.”
There are various portions of the recording that the mother said greatly disturbed her in general. These include alleged conversations between adults in the room referencing how the mother had made complaints about the IEP not being followed.
However, it was one of the employees allegedly encouraging another student to hit and kick her daughter that shocked her completely.
“Apparently my daughter got up and was trying to play with another student. The other student began getting agitated with my daughter. Later the girl attacked my daughter. There is a voice on the recording from an adult that says, ‘Go ahead, do what you do. Kick her again if she won’t leave you alone. She gets what she deserves.’”
The voice on the tape can then be heard apparently instructing the student on how to slap the daughter’s hand and “thump” her on the head.
Meanwhile, the mother told the EAN that the other adults in the room just continued chatting, and never intervened. She said this went on for almost half an hour.
“They didn’t separate them, there was no redirection,” the mother said.
At another point in the recording it indicates an employee took a pair of scissors away from the daughter, while another voice can be heard saying, “Let her cut herself. I guarantee she won’t do it again.”
The entire two days of recording was turned over to the Board of Education and the Coosada Police Department.
“That is just a small part of what I heard,” the mother told the EAN. “My daughter is being bullied, called names, or otherwise ignored. And this was just two days worth of recording.”
At another point in the recording the daughter tells one of the adults she wants to give her a hug. A voice responds telling the other adults how she cannot stand her touching her.
The mother said she just wants other parents out there with special needs kids to pay very close attention. If they feel anything is suspicious, contact the school immediately. If they don’t feel they have a resolution, contact law enforcement, she said.
She has had several conversations with employees at the school board office since the recording was turned over. She receives updates, but was told recently that two of the other adults involved have asked for Union representation before any disciplinary action can be taken. She is concerned that her daughter could face more retaliation because of the complaints filed.
The family has retained legal counsel.
