HOUSTON – A young mother from Houston’s Fifth Ward is angry and concerned for her children and others after she says she witnessed a teacher at Jefferson Elementary School physically abusing her 5-year-old autistic son just as she arrived to pick him up for school.
“Immediately when I was walking in, I heard my son crying. Just tears drenching down his face and him screaming,” Renee London said.
Renee, whose 5-year-old son Jayden is part of the Pals Program and is a special needs student, says that Jayden had apparently refused to put his mask on and school officials said he was running around the cafeteria yelling and screaming.
Renee said, apparently, in an attempt to restrain her son, a male teacher had wrapped his hands around her son’s neck and was shaking him and pushing him into the floor to keep him down.
Worst of all, she said it appeared her son was having trouble breathing.
“It was as if he was gasping for air, it was as if he was having trouble breathing,” Renee said.
Houston Independent School District released the following written statement:
“Allegations of improper handling of a student have been made against a staff member at Jefferson Elementary School. We took immediate action to remove the employee from the campus pending an administrative and police investigation into the allegations. Please know that HISD places great value on our students, and their safety and well-being are of the utmost importance.”