Connecting people touched by Autism
Restraint and Seclusion Hearing -- Death in Texas -- Teacher hired by Loudoun County
See an email from a parent that observed a hearing today at the House Education and Labor Committee on Restrainst and Seclusion:
"I decided to go to the hearing held today by the House Committee on Education and labor "Examining the Abusive and DEadly Use of Seclusion and REstraint in Schools".
We had some discussion on a few of the lists on this topic a few months ago and my son has been the victim of this practice. Come to find out, it has been on more than one occasion.
When I walked into the hearing room, Toni Price, the Mother of a young boy named Cedric, was testifying. Her son died from restraint used on him March, 2002. I started crying as she described that day.
The GAO report was released and the link below will take you to the report:
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09719t.pdf
If you notice on page 9 of the report it says: :For example, a 230 pound teacher in Texas who fatally restrained a 129 pound teenage boy facedown on a mat currently works as a public high school teacher in Virginia."
This teacher works in Loudoun County.
This teacher killed the boy Cedric mentioned above.
Mary Kealy, Assistant superintendent for Pupil Services in Loudoun County was supposed to testify today at the hearing. She sent a letter saying that in light of the discovery of this Loudoun county employee having been involved in the death in Texas, she couldn't comment on this case and so she wouldn't be appearing at the hearing today.
This teacher from Texas was found responsible for the death but her teaching certificate was not pulled. She was placed on a state registry of some sort that documented violations like this but some how, her name disappeared from the list. So it seems that if Loudoun county had done a research of her background, they may or may not have found out about her being responsible for Cedric's death. No one has mentioned her name.
Of course, everyone on the committee expressed outrage about the findings of this report. I have the name and number of Greg Kutz from the GAO that testified today about this report. I am not sure where this is going from here but we have got to stay on top of this. My bet is they will come out with some guidelines about when and under what situations restraint and seclusion can be used rather than banning it all together.
I was asked by some radio station if I thought it should be banned or just regulated. I said banned. There is no need for things to escalate to this point. If it does, it is the failure of the adults for providing an appropriate program and appropriate training of staff.
They talked a lot about Positive Behavior interventions as a key to this problem.
anyway I wanted you all to know this was going on so we can stay on top of it."
"I decided to go to the hearing held today by the House Committee on Education and labor "Examining the Abusive and DEadly Use of Seclusion and REstraint in Schools".
We had some discussion on a few of the lists on this topic a few months ago and my son has been the victim of this practice. Come to find out, it has been on more than one occasion.
When I walked into the hearing room, Toni Price, the Mother of a young boy named Cedric, was testifying. Her son died from restraint used on him March, 2002. I started crying as she described that day.
The GAO report was released and the link below will take you to the report:
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09719t.pdf
If you notice on page 9 of the report it says: :For example, a 230 pound teacher in Texas who fatally restrained a 129 pound teenage boy facedown on a mat currently works as a public high school teacher in Virginia."
This teacher works in Loudoun County.
This teacher killed the boy Cedric mentioned above.
Mary Kealy, Assistant superintendent for Pupil Services in Loudoun County was supposed to testify today at the hearing. She sent a letter saying that in light of the discovery of this Loudoun county employee having been involved in the death in Texas, she couldn't comment on this case and so she wouldn't be appearing at the hearing today.
This teacher from Texas was found responsible for the death but her teaching certificate was not pulled. She was placed on a state registry of some sort that documented violations like this but some how, her name disappeared from the list. So it seems that if Loudoun county had done a research of her background, they may or may not have found out about her being responsible for Cedric's death. No one has mentioned her name.
Of course, everyone on the committee expressed outrage about the findings of this report. I have the name and number of Greg Kutz from the GAO that testified today about this report. I am not sure where this is going from here but we have got to stay on top of this. My bet is they will come out with some guidelines about when and under what situations restraint and seclusion can be used rather than banning it all together.
I was asked by some radio station if I thought it should be banned or just regulated. I said banned. There is no need for things to escalate to this point. If it does, it is the failure of the adults for providing an appropriate program and appropriate training of staff.
They talked a lot about Positive Behavior interventions as a key to this problem.
anyway I wanted you all to know this was going on so we can stay on top of it."
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lee Stewart on -
Does anyone know the name of this teacher? On the one hand, as a special needs teacher assistant, I know there are times when restraining a child is just plain self defense. Every Special Ed teacher comes home with bruises and cuts at one time or another .... BUT.... on the other hand, strictly as a parent, I don't want my son to be in this teacher's class EVER. And, if I had a third hand... I feel that this teacher, who has probably suffered greatly because of this mistake, might deserve a second chance on life, and if her name was known to us in Loudoun County, her life would again be in great turmoil and she would most likely have to move away to start over once more.
I am completely torn between:
the horror of knowing this young man's chest was crushed by his teacher and...
compassion for the teacher who in all likelyhood meant the child no harm and...
fear for my own child and his classmates and...
the overpowering desire to know if someone close to me or my family is hiding such a secret.
Am I the only one?
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Permalink Reply by Kay Vincent on -
For everyone I Believe the Teachers name is Dawn Marie Hamilton. I googled her and it has the 2002 "accident" but I can not pull it up. She is in Park View High School in Sterling VA. Teaching Special ed students.
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Permalink Reply by Pat DiBari on -
Here is the link to the Hearing on the House Education and Labor Committee. The teacher's name was release by the GAO in a letter to the Virginia BOE. Also included is the Statement from Dr Mary Kealy, Asst Superintendent, Loudoun County Public Schools and a Letter from the American Society of School Administrators explaining the reason for Dr Kealy's absence today (investigation into the hiring).
http://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/2009/05/examining-the-abusive-and...
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Permalink Reply by Katie Mazza on -
It was in Loudoun Extra / Washington Post. Here's the link:
http://loudounextra.washingtonpost.com/news/2009/may/19/loudoun-tea...
Kay Vincent said:For everyone I Believe the Teachers name is Dawn Marie Hamilton. I googled her and it has the 2002 "accident" but I can not pull it up. She is in Park View High School in Sterling VA. Teaching Special ed students.
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