The mother of a girl with autism wants criminal assault charges brought against a Dallas Independent School District teacher's aide.
Alicia Shearer claims the teacher’s aide physically assaulted her 11-year-old autistic daughter in class.
The aide is on administrative leave as Dallas I.S.D. Police investigate the allegations.
What is known is that the child suffered a head injury.
However, many questions remain about what led up to the incident.
“I just want justice for my daughter,” said Shearer.
Justice after what her daughter allegedly endured in her special needs class at DeGolyer Elementary School in northern Dallas.
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The mother asked NBC 5 not to identify her daughter.
The 11-year-old has limited communication skills.
In early February, Shearer picked up her daughter from school and says she told her she got hurt.
“She tell me: I hit my head,” said Shearer. “I was driving so we got home and I checked her head and there was a big bump on her head.”
Shearer says her daughter has since been complaining of pain in her head and neck.
Shearer says she asked the child’s school what happened and was told the girl fell and bumped her head on a bookcase.
She then asked to see video available in the special education class.
“I don’t know if she was trying to get up but I saw him kind of flip the desk and it went into the wall, into the bookcase,” she said.
Him, is a teacher’s aide.
NBC 5 is not naming him as he has not been charged with a crime.
However, D.I.S.D. confirms the aide is on administrative leave as D.I.S.D. police and other entities investigate the allegations.
Mike Holum of Advocacy Behavioral Consulting in McKinney was hired by the family to ensure the girl was receiving adequate education after Shearer was concerned her daughter was reportedly being restrained in class without her knowledge.
Holum says he too saw the video.
“Without any provocation, that I have seen, he immediately flips the desk over taking the child and like a missile shot into the bookcase just that quick and you can see that she hit her head on the bookcase,” he said.
Shearer filed a grievance with the district alleging the girl sustained a head injury requiring a hospital visit and that the injury happened under the supervision of the principal and teacher.
She also claimed there was a failure to render medical care and failure to contact her for several hours.
The district, on Monday, granted the grievance stating that the mother’s claim is found to have merit.
The school’s principal has been ordered to undergo first aid training.
Shearer was also allowed to view the video, per the grievance.
“I prepared myself and I could never prepare myself especially her laying down on the floor by herself,” she said through tears.
Asked how bad the video was, Holum quickly responded “Oh, one of the worst I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen a lot of videos. As a human being I wouldn’t treat my dog like that, let alone a child with special needs.
NBC 5 has not seen the video to independently verify the allegations.
Shearer pulled the girl from DeGolyer Elementary School after the alleged incident.
However, after meeting with the district, the girl was placed at another D.I.S.D. school where Shearer hopes she will be cared for.
NBC 5 reached out to D.I.S.D. for comment. A district spokesperson said they are investigating the allegations but federal laws prohibit them from talking about the case so as to protect the child and their employee’s identities.
Late Tuesday afternoon, the principal of Everette Lee DeGolyer Elementary released this letter that was sent home with parents.
Response to News (Text)
