The family of an autistic boy in Michigan wants his teacher fired after the teacher recorded a video of the boy while his head was stuck in the back of a school chair.
Not only did the teacher record the child stuck in the chair with her cellphone, she apparently made fun of the boy too. The school's principle also appears in the video, saying the situation was not an emergency, WNEM-TV reported. The teacher has been identified as Nicole McVey of Oaktree Elementary school.
The incident happened in November, 2013. But now the parents of the boy, who has Asperger Syndrome, have hired an attorney to seek justice for their son.
"He's in clear distress stuck in this chair," Patrick Greenfelder, the family's attorney, told WNEM-TV. "And lack of compassion, then sending this video around and replaying it after the fact is indefensible."
Reports say the child got stuck in the chair while playing during indoor recess. In the video McVey asks the child if he would like to be tasered, WNEM-TV reported. McVey tells the student a maintenance worker is on the way.
Then the principle, Michael Ellis, said: "It's not really an emergency in their book," ABC News reported. Ellis has since resigned as principle.
"You hear of bullying by other students and other kids in class, I have had cases like this before, but I have never had a case with teachers and administrators bullying," Greenfelder told ABC News.
McVey is currently on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into her conduct.
"Under Michigan's tenure law that teacher has a right to a private hearing of any charges against her," Goodrich Superintendent Scott Bogner said in a statement to WNEM-TV.
McVey allegedly showed the video to her class and colleagues. The school community asserts that McVey meant no harm.
"She loves children," one parent, Erin Raether, told WNEM-TV. "She would never jeopardize or bully anyone."
See excerpts of the video here.
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