School is supposed to be a safe place. It is supposed to be a place where children care for others and are cared for.
A school in Georgia has failed, criminally failed, to meet that simple standard. That failure cost a young student his leg.
Montravius Thomas was only 13 years old when he was removed from his public school due to unspecified disciplinary problems. He was sent to an alternative school where his behavioral challenges were supposed to be addressed by specialists trained in how to handle adolescent defiance.
My husband, my son, and I have all worked with this population of youngsters. We know quite a bit about how to use positive discipline to achieve desired results.
We know that the adults never, ever lay a hand on a child. Ever.
The so called behavioral specialist who was supposed to be taking care of young Montravius obviously didn’t share our philosophy. Instead Bryant Mosley repeatedly body slammed the teen.
Let’s be clear about the offense that the student had committed on the day he was assaulted.
RawStory reports that it was the student’s first day at the special needs school. He had walked from his classroom into the hallway, wanting to go to the office to call him Mom for a ride home.
For some reason not yet known to the Thomas family, Mr. Mosley grabbed Montravius and threw him to the floor three times to stop him from leaving the classroom.
Although the Assistant Principal allegedly witnessed the physical attack, he did nothing to intervene. The school also reportedly videotaped the entire incident, but that footage has not yet been supplied to the family.
After physically assaulting the young boy, school staff refused to administer any kind of medical attention, even when they saw him limping. When Montravius complained that his leg was numb, staff promised to call an ambulance, but apparently they changed their minds, because one was never summoned.
Instead, the injured 13 year old was bodily carried to the regular school bus and forced to sit for the ride home with no way to support or stabilize his leg.
Montravius was in fact seriously hurt. While the story doesn’t specify the extent of his original injuries, he continued to experience complications from what had happened and needed extensive treatment.
His Mom lost her job because she had to spend so much time taking care of her son.
Worst of all, after all of the complications and suffering and ongoing treatments, about a month after being attacked by his teacher, Montravious Thomas had his leg amputated.
A troubled young Black student lost a leg after being assaulted by someone who was paid to take care of him.
His family is suing the Muscogee County School District for five million dollars.
I hope the judge triples it. More than that, I hope someone ends up in jail for this.
The following video contains a close look at the use of corporal punishment in schools.
Featured image via Wikimedia Commons.
