FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Parents who have students in special education classrooms in Fulton County Schools say they’re concerned for their children’s safety, and they’d like to see the school district put cameras inside the special education classrooms.
Mothers from different schools in both North and South Fulton County said their children are coming home with injuries they claim the kids received at school.
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The parents said their children have gotten bruises and even a broken tooth while at school, and they say the safety plans at the schools don’t do enough to protect their children.
One family filed a complaint with the State Department of Education which found FCS out of compliance.
“He actually fell in the hall and broke off half of his permanent tooth,” North Fulton parent Liz Peterson said. “There was really just no follow-up. We weren’t issued any detailed report about what happened or what was done to make the school safer or better support children with disabilities.”
Other parents say the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services has gotten involved in their cases.
“She had severe bruising to her back,” South Fulton parent Leisa Miller said. “Allegedly her teacher struck her in the back. From there we had to seek medical attention, got DFACS involved, internal affairs.”
The parents said their children aren’t only suffering physically but emotionally, and the incidents can become a financial hardship for the families.
“I drive 40 minutes away, for a school that I actually have to pay for now, just to keep him safe and a decent education,” South Fulton parent Tahirah Benyard said.
The mothers told Channel 2′s Eryn Rogers they want cameras in the special education classrooms and better safety protocols to support the children.
“Because our children are often non-verbal or have poor communication skills, we don’t have the benefit that other parents have of having our child tell us exactly what happened,” Peterson said.
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Fulton County Schools released the following statement in response to the allegations:
“Fulton County Schools remains committed to the safety and well-being of all our students, including our most vulnerable student populations such as students with disabilities. We closely follow our policies, procedures, and practices for student injuries or when there are allegations of wrongdoing towards a student. Included in these procedures is communication to parents when student injuries are reported and the commencement of any related internal investigation, if applicable. We also consistently report any allegations of wrongdoing towards students to outside agencies as required by state law, including allegations of abuse.”
And to ensure we continue to strengthen student safety, we frequently review these policies, procedures, and protections and welcome all parent input regarding ways to improve our communication about student safety.”
However, the parents said they don’t feel there is enough accountability within the district.
“Safety is one of the biggest things,” South Fulton parent Lola Green said. “Our children aren’t able to advocate for themselves, so we’re their voice.”
The mothers are encouraging other parents of students with disabilities to reach out to them at SPEDAdvocacy@urbanindigo.org. They said they frequently monitor the email. They are also working on chartering a Special Education Parent Teacher Association.
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