DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — The parents of a special needs child who was allegedly struck by a former Dayton Public Schools employee are speaking out with their attorney.
According to the office of Wright & Schulte, the 3-year-old can be seen on video running down a hallway at Rosa Parks Early Learning Center on Aug. 21.
In the video, the former employee can be seen slapping the child in the head, knocking him to the ground. The employee then picks the child up by his feet and carries him back to the classroom.
The employee has reportedly been terminated by Dayton Public Schools.
WARNING: Some may find the video below of the incident disturbing.
Wright & Schulte’s office claims that the parents, Robert Tootle and Taneshia Lindsay, were not told of the full severity of the incident until Monday, Sept. 11, when they received the video.
“The child’s parents are outraged that the school didn’t tell them the full story about what happened to their child,” the attorneys’ office said.
Attorney Michael Wright said the parents are seeking transparency and accountability from the district and questioning the qualifications of the employee.
“Right now, we are still making determination as to what’s going to be the next steps legally. We want answers to these questions. If they are not voluntarily given to us then I’ll take additional legal actions to get the answers to these questions,” said Wright.
“But right now, you know, the family’s just wanting to make sure that their son is okay and he’s safe when they drop him off, you know every day at school.”
Dayton Public Schools has since issued the following statement in response to the incident:
In light of the recent incident at Rosa Parks Early Learning Center, the District is taking additional measures to ensure all 2,300 employees are properly trained and qualified for their positions in an effort to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. Fitness for duty will be measured in terms of job qualification, training, and social-emotional health and well-being.
In addition, the Superintendent plans to meet with concerned parents at Rosa Parks Early Learning Center early next week to discuss the incident. The principal will share more details directly with families soon. As a reminder, the safety of all students is our utmost priority, and we would like to thank families for their support as we work to ensure a safe school environment for all learners.
Dr. David Lawrence, Interim Superintendent
The Dayton Police Department is also investigating this incident. The case will be brought before the Montgomery County Prosecuting Attorney. The Prosecutor confirmed his office will be reviewing the video to determine any charges.
