(KRON) — A 9-year-old student was locked inside a closet by an afterschool program’s staff member at a Palo Alto school, according to attorneys. The panicked child was able to use his electronic watch to call his father for help from inside the closet, attorneys said.
The alleged closet incident was one of several in which the student suffered frightening mistreatment from staff members and was bullied by fellow students at Escondido Elementary, attorneys said. Palo Alto Unified School District administrators did not take action to protect the boy or uphold his Individual Educational Plan, which requires the school to give higher levels of support for special education needs, attorneys said.
Attorney James Quadra of the law firm Quadra & Coll, LLP said a claim was filed against the district, and a lawsuit may be filed to hold staff members accountable.
Palo Alto Unified School District’s superintendent did not immediately respond to KRON4’s request for comment.
The student, who is now 10-years-old, attended an afterschool program operated by “Right at School” on Escondido Elementary School’s campus. Attorneys wrote, “In one of the most egregious incidents, one Right at School staff member encouraged other children to kick (the boy) in the genitals, resulting in multiple children assaulting (the boy) with staff members present.”
In another incident, this same staff member locked the boy in a closet for nearly 15 minutes, resulting in the boy panicking and calling his father with his electronic watch.
The boy suffers from severe emotional distress because of “willful misconduct by school staff that has resulted in consistent racist bullying,” attorneys said. After the claim was filed, school administrators allegedly retaliated against the student’s family.
“Instead of supporting the parents’ calling into concern these unconscionable practices, PAUSD has taken measures to prevent any responsibility or liability for their salaried and contracted employees on site, to cede any responsibility. These retaliatory and discriminatory actions have led to a second claim being filed this morning against PAUSD,” attorneys wrote.
Prosecutors filed charges against the staff member involved in the closet incident.
The Black student’s family and the San Jose NAACP are holding a press conference Wednesday outside the school district’s office to demand that the Palo Alto Police Department open an investigation against additional employees who were allegedly involved.
Family members are also calling on Palo Alto Unified School District administrators to end its contract with Right at School, which still operates at Escondido Elementary School.
(KRON) — A 9-year-old student was locked inside a closet by an afterschool program’s staff member at a Palo Alto school, according to attorneys. The panicked child was able to use his electronic watch to call his father for help from inside the closet, attorneys said. The alleged closet incident was one of several in […]
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