Mom says teacher let classmates vote autistic son out of class

By Colleen Wixon | Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers
2:31 PM EDT, May 25, 2008

PORT ST. LUCIE - Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class.

After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.

By a 14 to 2 margin, the students voted Alex -- who is in the process of being diagnosed with autism -- out of the class.

Melissa Barton filed a complaint with Morningside's school resource officer, who investigated the matter, Port St. Lucie Department spokeswoman Michelle Steele said. But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said.

Read entire story here.

 

The scary thing to me - if one of my quirky but lovable kids had a teacher like this, it could have been them stood at the front of the class, being humiliated and traumatized.  How this doesn't qualify as emotional child abuse amazes me.  The teacher at this time has been pulled from the classroom, but the harm has been done.

Another blogger is putting together a campaign to help boost Alex's moral and ego, so if you want to do something positive for Alex, check this link out!