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Deciding the Fate of Charged School Officials
posted 11/12/09
5:03 pm
Anita Ruff-Putillion (top left), Mary Rita Watson (top right), Rebecca Piersol Crosby (bottom left), Heather Martin (bottom right)
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"It's scaring me a lot. When I first heard about it, I thought it was mild and blown out of proportion. This is just heartbreaking," Greenwood said.
Investigators say the abuse began in August. Heather Martin is accused of grabbing one of her autistic students and dragging him by the hair. She's also accused of covering another students nose and mouth of long periods of time.
"I wish someone would have told us what happened," said Greenwood.
Greenwood knows firsthand how challenging working with autistic children can be because her son Bryce is being evaluated for Asperger Syndrome.
"They have a lot of trouble communicating what is going on in their minds. If you aren't a patient person, it can get frustrating very quickly," Greenwood explained.
State law mandates that school officials report suspected abuse. Investigators say that wasn't done in the case at Knightsville Elementary and that is why the principal and assistant principal were also charged.
"We're talking about children who dont have a voice for themselves," Evelyn Turner with the Charleston Disabilities Board said. "If anyone suspects abuse and doesn't report it, they're not protecting children."
Greenwood is concerned about her son's safety and wants to know how the district will handle the situation. All of the women except Heather Martin have been reassigned to other schools in the district.
Piersol-Crosby is working in the districts special services department. Watson was reassigned to Oakbrook Elementary and Putillion is at Beech Hill Elementary. A district spokesperson says Heather Martin no longer works for the district.
read more stories in The I-Team
Latest Comments on "Deciding the Fate of Charged School Officials"
posted by: sassysandy on 11:56 am on 11/15/09
Throw them under the jail! enough! we all know child abuse is happening all around us. But by our teachers? this is an all time low. They should not be working now, anywhere. Why relocate them? so they can leave lasting fear in other children? Take away any licence they have to teach ever again.
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