Location: Ohio
Not me, but my sister (57) is an assistant in the special education department of a public school in Ohio. One of her students, who is almost 21, is over 6 feet tall and 250 lbs. he is non-verbal and has the capacity of a toddler. He is violent: punching, slapping, and spitting. My sister is tired of getting her ass kicked by this person. In Ohio, special needs students are allowed to attend school until they turn 22, so she has him this year, and at least part of next year. Her school told her she wouldn’t have to deal with him this year, but then assigned him to her room again. I told her to tell the school that if he touches her once, she’s calling the police and filing suit against the school system. Obviously, she cares about her students, or she would have left already. What can she do?
Comments
I believe worker’s comp is her only recourse for medical injuries. She can certainly engage an employment lawyer to deal with the school in regards to encouraging them to not place her with that student anymore.
I can understand not wanting to have that happen to her and it seems that the school is not providing the proper safety. However, her position in the special education dept. is voluntary. If she is unwilling to risk injury working with such individuals then perhaps she should change her specialty or if special ed is her jam relocate to a place where they have safety measuresin place for such an occurrence. I doubt the school will put a school resource officer with her and if the police get involved again not alot to go with the 21 yr old has the mental capacity of a toddler. So if special ed is what she wanted go to a better school if it’s not the change careers.