When parents drop their kids off at school, their hope is that their child will be taken care of and looked after. But what one Chicago teacher did to a special needs child is despicable and totally degrading.
According to WGN News, Nyesha Terry says that when she picked up her five-year-old son, Lloyd, from D.E. Wentworth Elementary, she found him dressed in a black garbage bag and isolated from the rest of the class. You see, Lloyd suffers from epilepsy which causes him to drool. He is also non-verbal.
According to the report, Nyesha talked with the teacher and asked for an explanation. The teacher indicated that she was concerned that Lloyd would get sick with a wet shirt. Which sounds like a pathetic excuse, since the issue of Lloyd’s drooling has been handled in previous schools with bibs and extra clothing.
After speaking with the teacher and thinking the problem would be resolved, she returned the next day to find Lloyd in the same situation. That’s when Nyesha went to the principle as well as Child Protective Services (CPS) for answers. Bill McCaffrey, Spokesman for CPS, finally gave a statement to WGN News that read:
“…we work to ensure all students are comfortable in their learning environment. This incident is inexcusable and CPS has launched an investigation. We will take all appropriate actions to ensure this issue is resolved and prevented from happening again”.
As of now, the school has yet to issue any statement. Asked what made her the most upset about the situation, Nyesha replied:
“Because it’s hazardous. And he could chew on it or swallow a piece. He could be playing with it and suffocate his self”.
Also, asked why she wanted to speak to the media regarding her son’s treatment, she said:
“I hope that this would just give parents with special needs children, just give them insight on what’s going on when we’re not around our children. I want exposure because it’s not right”.
What this teacher did to a special needs child is despicable. It’s hard enough to send children into the care of others every day. Too many times we hear of adults in supervisory roles taking advantage of children. So when a teacher takes advantage of a special needs child in this way, it makes it all the more appalling.
What would you do if you found your child wearing a garbage bag and isolated from the other children?
