Jun 27, 2008 5:45 pm US/Eastern
Abuse Scandal Rocks Putnam County School
Teachers, Aides Accused Of Subjecting Autistic Children To Sexual Behavior, Calling Them Derogatory Names
MAHOPAC, N.Y. (CBS) ―
A scandal at a Putnam County school ends up in federal court.
Some parents at a Mahopac elementary school are suing the school after they say their special needs children were exposed to sexual behavior and called derogatory names.
It's the latest round of controversy for Mahopac Falls Elementary, and its "bridge program" for autistic children.
A year ago, police charged teacher Tammy Card and three staff members with endangering children, ages 5 and 6.
Now, the families of those children are suing in federal court and releasing shocking details of what allegedly happened in class.
"Children were mimicked, children were taunted, children put their heads down and were kept subdued with their heads down, forceably," said Michael Sussman, the plaintiffs' attorney.
Sussman says the children suffered abuse at the hands of their educators, claiming the autistic kids were called by nicknames like "drool machine" and "Satan's child."
One staff member allegedly exposed her breasts to students saying she wanted to "brighten [their] day."
Other staffers allegedly engaged in sexually explicit discussions in front of students.
Sussman says the children have been damaged by what they have witnessed.
"The impact is ongoing, several are behaving in erratic, difficult ways more incorrigible than before," Sussman said. "The psychiatric reports show a connection between what they experienced and how they're behaving now."
Melanie Skillman, a school bus driver, has been following the case closely.
"It's sick," Skillman said. "I have no tolerance for any type of behavior towards these innocent children."
The witnesses in this case are other educators, who reported the alleged wrongdoing to the administration. Those witnesses have filed a lawsuit of their own, claiming they suffered retaliation for blowing the whistle.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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