“The Bahners were horrified to learn that C.B.—a particularly vulnerable child, given the extent of his disabilities and that he is only partially verbal—experienced the treatment described in their lawsuit, including placement of C.B. in a locked cage,” an attorney for the child’s family said. “The Bahners looked forward to prosecuting their case and receiving justice for C.B.”
A recently-filed lawsuit claims that a Kansas paraeducator abused a student with Down syndrome, repeatedly pushing the 15-year-old into a utility closet, beating them, and taking pictures of the student locked inside of an equipment cage.
According to CBS News, the complaint was filed earlier this week on behalf of Silver Lake residents Heather and Jeff Bahner and their disabled son, identified in court documents by the initials “C.B.” It names defendants including paraeducator Albert Bahret, special education teacher Taylor Hurla, and the director of the district’s special education program.
Attorneys for the student’s family say that Bahret photographed his alleged acts of abuse before sending pictures to other staff members at Kaw Valley school district. In his messages, Bahret purportedly compared C.B. to an animal and attempted to “[make] light of his serious, demeaning, and discriminatory conduct.”
The lawsuit alleges that Bahret did not even have a key to the equipment cage, and had to ask other school employees to open the door and release the student.
Kerry Lacock, the superintendent of Kaw Valley schools, said that the district is aware of the Bahner family’s allegations but cannot provide comment due.
“We are asking our families and employees to report any concerns about inappropriate conduct without delay,” Lacock said in a statement. “It takes all of us working together—teachers, staff and student families—to make our schools the safe and caring place our community expects and deserves.”
Lacock said that all three of the defendants named in the lawsuit are still employed by the district.
An attorney for the family told the Kansas City Star that disabled students should never be “forced to endure the discriminatory treatment that C.B. has gone through at the hands of” Kaw Valley staff.
“The Bahners were horrified to learn that C.B.—a particularly vulnerable child, given the extent of his disabilities and that he is only partially verbal—experienced the treatment described in their lawsuit, including placement of C.B. in a locked cage,” Bahner said. “The Bahners looked forward to prosecuting their case and receiving justice for C.B.”
The lawsuit claims that the mistreatment led C.B. to harm himself and withdraw from his family.
“He rips his hair out, so much that he has large bald spots on his head,” the complaint alleges. “C.B. has quit using his words, and now just stands and drools.”
Sources
Kansas school employee locked disabled boy in cage, compared him to ‘animal’: Lawsuit
Kansas school employee locked teen with Down syndrome in closet, storage cage, lawsuit says
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