‘Going to get justice’: Mom of young Boston student restrained to chair says school should be closed
The mother of a 3-year-old special needs student is planning legal action against a school in Boston after staffers allegedly restrained her young son to a chair with duct tape and nylon straps.
According to school officials, three faculty members at the James F. Condon Community School in South Boston have been placed on leave for their alleged involvement in restraining the student.
Anacelia Cuevas, the mother of the boy, says she met with the school on Friday to discuss the reported incident, which she says occurred on Valentine’s Day. She’s now calling on the city to take immediate action.
“I’m in denial. I’m in shock. I still don’t believe it. I want to wake up from this nightmare,” Cuevas explained. “This school shouldn’t be open.”
A teacher in the pre-kindergarten classroom reported the incident involving the non-verbal student to the Department of Children and Families and Cuevas was subsequently notified.
Cuevas said the straps were wrapped around her son’s waist and that the chair he was sitting in was taped down to the floor.
In a statement, Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper called the accusations “deeply concerning.”
“The safety and well-being of our students is our number one priority. This incident is deeply concerning and goes against our values and policies as a school district,” Skipper said. “We understand how difficult this has been for both our student and their family, and we will continue to work directly with them to provide all the support they need to feel safe and continue learning at BPS.”
Parents of children at the school were notified of an investigation into the faculty members via email on Monday.
“Tied down? That makes no sense. We as parents feel unsafe, so how do they feel?” an outraged parent said.
Cuevas believes this incident was a normal form of punishment for special needs students like her son, who is now afraid to sit in a chair.
“If he sees me sitting in the chair, he’ll say, ‘Trouble,’ and I’d say, ‘No honey, that’s not the right word,’” Cuevas explained. “The whole time I think he was saying, ‘If you sit in the chair you’re in trouble.’”
Cuevas said she has since pulled her three children from the school for good. Her next step is legal action against the school.
“He’s just so innocent and they robbed my child of his innocence. I’m going to get justice for my son,” Cuevas vowed.
The names of the faculty members on leave haven’t been made public.
An investigation is ongoing.
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