Father, Puts Wire On Son With Autism, Records Verbal Abuse From Teacher

[SpartanDem]

Last edited Thu Apr 26, 2012, 01:44 AM - Edit history (1)

When Stuart Chaifetz sent his 10-year-old son to New Jersey's Horace Mann Elementary School wearing a hidden audio recorder, he couldn't have predicted what he would uncover.

The move came in reaction to accusations from the school that his son Akian was having "violent outbursts," including hitting his teacher and teacher's aide -- claims that Chaifetz claims are against his son's "sweet and non-violent" nature.

Akian, who has Autism, returned with a tape containing hours of apparent verbal and emotional abuse from his classroom aide and teacher -- whom Chaifetz identifies as "Jodi" and "Kelly" -- a recording which his father later published on YouTube.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/23/stuart-chaifetz-father-wire-son-records-teacher-abuse_n_1447330.html?ref=mostpopular

Fire these two worthless *&^&^#* now!!

&feature=colike

[teddy51]

1. Maybe these teachers should be fired, but I personally don't think an Autistic child should be

in public classes. As with the 6 year old girl that was hand cuffed, he should be in Special Needs.

[Thor_MN]

2. The article makes it pretty clear that is was a Special Needs class.

Just saying.

[teddy51]

4. Thanks for responding... Cause that really was a test on my part. I have not had a response

since I posted on this site.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1137&pid=10413

I am wondering how Homophobic DU really is? Hope I am wrong, but who knows?

[Logical]

7. Welcome! I think it is just a coincidence!

[teddy51]

8. Maybe so! n/t

[Thor_MN]

19. You are welcome.

I can't really speak for any one other than myself, but I think everyone is welcome here. Many, if not most, comments will not draw responses. Generally, responses are either "you are wrong, blah, blah, blah" or "Hells yeah!!!" A bit too much of the former, but that's life, not every one agrees on all points.

I suppose the possibilty exists that there could be people who track what forums people post in, but really, who has the time? One of the advantages of online conversations is the anonymity, one interacts with people purely based on the content of what they say. Put the same two people in an elevator for 5 minutes and they might not say a word to each other.

[lonestarnot]

40. 2161 posts and not one fucking response? Are you kidding me?

Wow! Welcome to DU.

[lumberjack_jeff]

5. Luckily, you have the luxury of being ignorant of what you're saying.

Autism isn't one thing, even though you think it is. Many kids with autism excel in general ed classes, and many more could if schools would simply try.

Abusive teachers shouldn't be fired, they should be prosecuted.

[Scuba]

29. +1,000 on the prosecution comment.

[lonestarnot]

39. +

[Canuckistanian]

13. I beg to differ

My son is autistic, and he's always advanced with his classmates in a regular classroom.

Just because you read 'autistic', it doesn't mean that the kid is severely disabled. There are a range of behaviors and the severity of autism.
That's why it's called the 'autism spectrum'

[lumberjack_jeff]

22. Stories like this are why I have always been adamant that my son stay in GE classroom.

Learning centers and the like are places where a teacher can say and do anything they want without fear of credible witnesses. I'm sure that most do not, but some obviously do.

In my school district a couple of years ago a teacher was disciplined (I think she now teaches in another district) for restraining an autistic kindergartener so another student could hit him.

[mmonk]

16. Many didn't think mine did either.

He now has 3 Associate Degrees and is finishing up a Bachelor's Degree at NC State.

[Scuba]

30. BoooWaaaah!!! Good on you and good on him!!!

[SomethingFishy]

25. UM.. depends on the kid.. I have a son with Autism

and we pushed the school to allow him in regular classes starting in middle school. It took some patience and adjustment for everyone involved but now he's in high school and just scored the highest in the school on his advanced placement tests.

You obviously don't know much about Autism. Many kids with it are functional, and the habit the schools have of just dumping kids into "special needs" classes because they have a diagnosis is a mistake.

Each kid should be judged on his or her own merits.

[teddy51]

27. I was wrong in saying that, and you are correct. Just as long as the child does not disrupt

the teacher and the rest of the class, it's probably best that they are in regular classes.

[SomethingFishy]

28. Wow.. you don't see that shit too often on DU..

Thanks!

And don't sweat it, most people see the word Autism and they automatically think "Rain Man". They have no idea how different the disease can be for different people.

[Scuba]

31. Welcome to DU. Bertrand Russell said something to the effect of....

It's fools and fanatics who are so sure of themselves, while wiser men are filled with doubt.


And only a fool will refuse to change his/her mind when presented with new facts.

[teddy51]

34. I figure we all screw up from time to time and we should own up to it when we do.

I don't have a problem admitting it and/or saying I'm sorry.

[Scuba]

35. Good attitude. Only confident people can admit mistakes, and doing so reeks confidence...

I never understood the fear some folks have of admitting errors.

[lumberjack_jeff]

44. +1 n/t

[Odin2005]

36. LOL, this autistic person did just fine in the classroom.

Don't generalize.

[FarLeftFist]

3. Watching that full video makes me so mad. That poor child. Such heartless teachers.

[Whisp]

6. this should be a crime.

wtf are they doing being teachers?

worthless *&^&^#* is too kind!

[lumberjack_jeff]

9. Stuart Chaifetz, you are my hero. n/t

[Butterbean]

10. I saw this a couple of days ago, and it made me nauseated.

Mr. Chaifetz says he's not interested in suing, and I commend him for that, as he is clearly a much nobler person than I am. I would sue. I would be screaming for someone's head on a platter. My child is in a self contained classroom, and he is there because it is supposed to be a safe place for him. Thank God his teacher is one in a million, and she is amazing. If this happened to my kid, heads would roll and I would most certainly sue.

[freshwest]

11. +1.. But the suits aren't to make money...

They are to force them to treat ALL of these kids as human beings... Which does cost them money, yes. But not for one person. There are some horrific things going on in this country right now... And some very good things such as you know. So glad to hear that your child is in a safe situation.

[Smarmie Doofus]

12. Creepy stuff. Frankly, it's hard to believe she's tenured.

Sounds more like temp-agency quality, non-union teachers favored increasingly by NJ school districts.

Good on pops for standing by his kid.

[SpartanDem]

14. What's worse that teacher still hasn't been fired

it's this type of bs that gives unions a bad name.

[Smarmie Doofus]

17. Instinct tells me she's a patronage hire.

Meaning she's got the job 'cuz she's someone's wife,gf, sister, etc.

I might be wrong. But no union is going to insist on a clause saying that spec ed teachers can't be fired for tormenting handicapped kids. That's just nuts.

There might be a due process delay.... meaning she's entitled to a hearing ( as she SHOULD be ).... after which she'll be canned. Unless she can show that her actions and statements were somehow excusable in a broader context.


Judging by the tape, it's hard to see how that could happen.


Or maybe she's just being protected by higher-ups. The aforementioned patrons. We'll see.

[cr8tvlde]

41. Has nothing to do with the unions...

it's tenure and that was around long before teacher's unions. Unions didn't really get involved until the mid 70's. I was there for both, but young enough to get out and get a real paying job.

There were some incredibly bad, burned out teachers who did nothing but show up, but they had to hang on until retirement because they couldn't get a job anywhere else. Everyone knew it, too.

[lumberjack_jeff]

45. The problem is there's no feedback loop

Kids with disabilities can't testify credibly for themselves.

In that kind of situation, it would not be unusual for anyone to do the bare minimum and blame the outcome on the kids disabilities.

I think that special ed classrooms should have "dashboard cams", for the same reasons that cops do.

[cr8tvlde]

46. The same was true for regular kids or parents...there were no unannounced visitors

and the intercoms had to be activated from classroom to office so that they could not "listen in" to classroom activities. I dont know how it is today, but the principal or administration should always be able to listen to what is going on in the classroom.

[Odin2005]

38. The Peter Principle.

People rise to the level of incompetence.

[Tripod]

15. This is one of many ways that technology is great!

WTF! Does evil have to ride in this place?

[Liquorice]

18. It's so sad. It just breaks my heart to hear it. Akian has

at least one wonderful thing going for him--his dad. He's like SuperDad. A kid couldn't have a more devoted, loving dad than Stuart Chaifetz, at least that's how it seems to me from the video.

I hope Stuart gets justice for Akian, and maybe he can help change things for other kids in Akian's situation. I personally think cameras in all classrooms wouldn't be a bad idea at all. I'm sure it would be expensive, but it would stop a lot of the nonsense that goes on with bullying, etc. Cameras can make people behave.

[Maine-ah]

20. good fucking god...

I can't believe the school just shuffled these "teachers".


KnR.

[GOTV]

21. What really bugs me about these stories of abusive teachers and abusive cops ...

... is that I have a hard time believing that their coworkers don't know something about it and didn't do anything about it.

[XemaSab]

23. Here, both the teacher and the aide were being abusive

They were ganging up on the kids.

[cr8tvlde]

47. Of course they know. But they would lose their job. Prove it.

[Rex]

26. As a former teacher

this makes me sick to my stomach. It exposes an ugly truth about some teachers - not all the bullies are kids in the classroom. Some of them are irresponsible adults put into a position of power.

Makes me sick.

[Scuba]

32. Firstly, I am very proud of this father for defending and protecting his son...

...sadly, not every parent would do so.

Secondly, I agree with LumberjackJeff (above) that abusive teachers should be prosecuted.


I have two special needs kids (not autism, now both grown). One was "written off" by the school system. Per the school psychologist, "The best you can hope for is that he can clean bathrooms at McDonalds."


He now has an associates degree and a job. He pays a higher tax rate than Mitt Romney.

Good on all the folks who replied to this thread about their own children. They're blessed to have you.

[aikoaiko]

33. Horrible. These teachers should be blacklisted nationwide.

If only it were possible.

[Zalatix]

42. And their higher-ups who "reassigned" them.

[Odin2005]

37. Those teachers should be fired PRONTO!

[cr8tvlde]

43. When I saw "put a wire on son" I about choked on my coffee

holy moly that took "hutzpah". Go, Dad! However, now they'll be frisking the kids for wires and guns.

[teddy51]

48. To all those that I offended with my post, I humbly apologize and don't know what I was

talking about. Please forgive me, and I will try to do better on DU!

[lumberjack_jeff]

51. I'm sorry for jumping in your shit about it.

I should do better too.

But a little history is in order. 40 years ago schools were not obliged to teach kids with disabilities. "Autism? Sorry. I hear there's a church the next town over who has a little parents club that meets in the basement. Maybe they'll teach your kid."

Today, kids with disabilities are entitled to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. This is a good thing, and a vast improvement over the past.

Every student "disrupts" the education of every other student to one degree or another. Having people with disabilities in the classroom, even if their behaviors are odd, enriches the education of the other kids.

It was a collective epiphany when RFK reminded us all that these are "our fellow citizens".

[H. Cromwell]

49. Similar issue..Teacher now gone

Neighbor's 13yr old Joey, is autistic, has a science teacher that is a bullying POS. Grabbing kids by the neck, telling whole classes they are useless, screaming and spitting in students faces.
He is tenured...and he is now gone.
I wasn the process of getting Joey and his mother legal counsel. The kid was terrified to go to school.

[BlueIris]

50. Jesus.

Abusers should not be in education. Or the work force. They are a danger to everyone around them.