Allegations of Abuse at Rural Kansas School
A lawsuit filed in federal court on Friday accuses a Kansas school employee of repeatedly abusing a 15-year-old student with Down syndrome. The allegations include locking the teenager in a utility closet, striking him, and once confining him in a storage cage meant for athletic equipment. The paraprofessional assigned to the student is also accused of photographing the boy in the cage and sending the image to other staff members in the Kaw Valley district, mocking the teen and comparing him to an animal.
Paraprofessional and District Staff Named in Lawsuit
The lawsuit names the paraprofessional, other special education staff, and the Kaw Valley school district, which serves approximately 1,100 students and is headquartered in St. Marys, Kansas, about 30 miles northwest of Topeka. The lawsuit claims that the paraprofessional did not have a key to the storage cage and had to seek assistance from other staff members to release the teen. The parents, whose son is identified in the complaint only by his initials, allege that their child was subjected to this treatment despite exhibiting “no behaviors whatsoever” or only minor behaviors related to his disability.
Pattern of Abuse and Neglect
The lawsuit further alleges that the paraprofessional verbally abused the teen daily, pulling him by the shirt collar, and striking him in the neck and face. The teen, who communicates in short sentences, reportedly described these incidents using words like “hit,” “closet,” and the paraprofessional’s first name. The complaint also accuses the employee of forcing the student to remain in soiled clothing for extended periods and denying him food during lunchtime.
Concerns raised by other staff members were reportedly ignored by the special education teacher and the district’s special education director, who are also named in the lawsuit. The complaint suggests that the district described their treatment of the teen as “tough love” and instructed subordinates not to report the abuse to the state child welfare agency. However, one district employee did eventually report the parents’ concerns to the agency, citing abuse and neglect.
District’s Response and Legal Proceedings
The Kaw Valley district has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit, and no attorneys are currently listed for the district in online court records. Phone calls and emails sent to district staff by news outlets were not immediately returned. The lawsuit is ongoing, and it is expected to draw attention to the handling of special education students and the responsibilities of school districts in protecting vulnerable children.
