May 25, 2008 8:59 PM
Alex Barton voted out of kindergarten
Mom says teacher let classmates vote autistic son out of classBy Colleen Wixon | Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers
2:31 PM EDT, May 25, 2008PORT ST. LUCIE - Melissa Barton said she is considering legal action after her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class.
After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, Alex, his Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.
By a 14 to 2 margin, the students voted Alex -- who is in the process of being diagnosed with autism -- out of the class.
Melissa Barton filed a complaint with Morningside's school resource officer, who investigated the matter, Port St. Lucie Department spokeswoman Michelle Steele said. But the state attorney's office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said.
Read entire story here.
I don't know about where you live, but here in the DC metropolitan area we're currently being bombarded by radio ads urging listeners to turn in abusive parents.
In light of recent abuses by Child Protective Services in Texas and elsewhere, this seems especially creepy, don't you think?
How ironic then that a teacher who does the absolute unthinkable - encouraging emotional abuse from kindergartners and delivering the final blow herself - is defended by government officials.
Parents suspected of abuse are fair game, but a teacher caught in this kind of psychological/emotional cruelty is protected?
This teacher should never be allowed in a classroom again.
For an analysis of what laws were probably broken - as well as links for officials you may wish to write to - Wendy Portillo's Psychological Mob Lynching of a 5 Year Old.Three hours ago, Melissa Barton, mom of Alex left this comment there:
Thank you.Alex is too young now but someday he will understand what perfect strangers have done for him.
I haven't stopped crying since I found out what happened to my son and the children of his class. How could this happen? Why Alex? I am one person, just the one parent Alex has. I am married, but he will never know what it is like to have his real dad play football or watch his plays at school. He has no idea what it is like to actually call someone dad.
His life is far from what I planned it to be when I first heard him cry 5 years ago. Though I work very hard for everything he has material in this world. I feel like every step forward we take there is always a step back. This year we had a first, he said I love you and gave me a hug out of the blue ï I cried the moment he did this, see usually he wipes off kisses and pulls from hugs. I now know god gave me this to remind me that there is hope for us too. Yesterday he offered me part of his bottled water - this may seem like nothing to other parents but it provided me with the strength to make it through the moment.
Thank you for what all you kind strangers, but my eternal brothers & sisters, are doing for Alex.
Melissa Barton
PROUD MOM.Posted by: mom | May 25, 2008 at 08:15 PM
That means she's reading and you can leave a comment for her letting her know she's not alone.
Posted in Disabilities, Public schools | Permalink
Comments
Oh Melissa--my heart just goes out to you and your dear son. **HUGS**
Posted by: Jessica | May 26, 2008 12:23 AM
Oh, Melissa, this is just unthinkable. I read it to the several of my children in the room as I read it, and they all cried out, "He can come to OUR school!!!". Seeing as how we homeschool on the Pacific coast, that is a bit impractical ;-).
I am a mama of special needs children, too, three of which are quite visible to the public, and the cruelty of adults who should know better is mind-boggling, and hurts a mama's heart so badly. You are not alone. I keep the thought that God placed our wonderful children in our families all-knowing and all-loving.
Our family will keep your dear son in our prayers as he processes this hurt.
Posted by: kimberly | May 26, 2008 12:28 AM
Melissa- many hugs to you and your son! I posted this story on my blog- we need to start teaching tolerance, not intolerance.
Posted by: Stacy | May 26, 2008 12:47 AM
Thank you,
We really need the support of every parent or just people who care at this time.
I am pushing to have this "teacher" fired. She is still in the class room. My son speaks of physical abuse from this lady. The first I heard of this was in the meeting with the School police office ( who by the way forgot to put that into her report) and the DCF -department of children and families) However, I have found a child in his class who is saying that both forms of abuse did in fact occur. This little child's account of the abuse is very heartbreaking...they were all abused.
You can email me at momobomo99@yahoo.com.
This is why we need many people to call or email the list below :
The teacher Ms. Wendy Portillo
portillow@stlucie.k12.fl.us
Principal Cully of Morningside Elementary
cullym@stlucie.k12.fl.us
Assistant Principal Gascoigne of Morningside Elementary
gasgoignep@stlucie.k12.fl.us
Mr. Sam Gabriel social worker at Morningside Elementary
gabriels@stlucie.k12.fl.us
Mrs. Kathryn Hensley member of the St. Lucie County School Board
HensleyK@stlucie.k12.fl.us
Mr. Troy Ingersoll member of the St. Lucie County School Board
IngersollT@stlucie.k12.fl.us
Dr. Judi Miller member of the St. Lucie County School Board
MillerJ@stlucie.k12.fl.us
Dr. John Carvelli member of the St. Lucie County School Board
CarvelliJ@stlucie.k12.fl.us
Ms. Carol A. Hilson member of the St. Lucie County School Board
HilsonC@stlucie.k12.fl.us
Mr. Owen Roberts Assistant Superintendent St. Lucie County School Board
RobertsO@stlucie.k12.fl.us
Mr. Michael Lannon Superintendent St. Lucie County School Board
LannonM@stlucie.k12.fl.us
Contact the Governor or Lt. Governor
Office of Governor Charlie Crist
State of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St.
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001
Get Answers – MyFlorida.com hosts an extensive set of answers to frequently asked questions.
Email the Governor
Email the Lt. Governor
Telephone:
Citizen Services Hotline: (850) 488-4441
Executive Office of the Governor Switchboard: (850) 488-7146
[Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time]
Fax: (850) 487-0801
For individuals with hearing loss or speech disability:
1-850-922-7795 (TTY)
Posted by: melissa | May 26, 2008 1:59 AM
It just blows my mind how something like this doesn't result in immediate termination of the teacher and apologies. Surely the school recognizes how wrong this was -- why are they sending the opposite message to all of those kids by not doing anything about it?
Posted by: Michelle Potter | May 26, 2008 2:09 AM
Heck, I'm only 16 (and definitely not a mom yet) and I'm behind you, 150%. I even wrote letters to the school, and every other e-mail address I could get my hands on, expressing my disappointment in the school system and what happened.
Hugs to you and your son.
Posted by: Catherine | May 26, 2008 4:23 AM
Melissa---my heart breaks for your sweet son. It just shows how heartless the 'teacher' is. I hope that she doesn't have children of her own--and if so, that they don't learn from their mother.
Something good will come of this--stay strong and keep fighting!
Posted by: Millicent | May 26, 2008 9:23 AM
When I was in the first grade back in 1973, the teacher, Mrs. Arbesmann, had Sally and I go out into the hallway and wait until she called us back into the class. Sally and I both wondered what was going on. I figured, excitedly, that they were planning our birthday parties as our birthdays were days apart that month. Finally we were called back into class and told to resume our classwork as usual. I noticed that my pencils were gone from my desk. When I questioned the boy who sat next to me, I was met with utter contempt. I began to ask the other kids around me about my pencils and each one gave a cruel and harsh answer. I was dumbfounded. All of a sudden it seemed the entire class had turned on me. They were saying mean things and someone had taken my pencils and no one was going to help me. It was only after I broke down in tears that the teacher came over and told me that they were conducting an experiment for religion class showing why it was important to be kind. She wanted to use me as a guinea pig and instructed the others to treat me in that way. I still remember that like it was yesterday and I'm 40 years old! Only a few years ago did I tell my parents about the incident and my father said he wished he would've known then because he thought that was a sick experiment on the part of the teacher and he would have dealt with her. She also had quite the temper! I remember she would yell fiercely at us if we misbehaved and one boy she even tied to his desk and forced him to eat toilet paper. I promise you I'm not making this up. I wish now that I would have spoken up about her. These teachers need to be punished and thrown out of the educational system...period...end of story!
Posted by: Libby | May 26, 2008 10:46 AM
Please ask Melissa to contact me at lindasuetaylorprayer@yahoo.com, I may have some valuable information for her.
Thank you.
Linda
Posted by: Linda Sue Taylor | May 27, 2008 8:37 AM
Barbara, kudos to you for being a rallying point on this heart-rending case.
I've arranged for a sizable box of our family-friendly video games to be sent to you for forwarding to Alex. *Please contact me at your convenience once the package has arrived, and I'll be happy to give you our corporate FedEx account # so that you won't have to take on the additional burden of postage! (Assuming we're not talking metric tons, we at PopCap would be happy to absorb the cost of shipping the other letters, cards and packages on to Melissa and Alex.)
Best Regards,
Garth Chouteau
Posted by: Garth Chouteau | May 27, 2008 9:20 PM
I'd say the teacher should lose her credentials, and do time. Seriously, a couple months in jail is appropriate. I wouldn't look to ruin her life over it, but she should receive punishment. Furthermore, she and the school system should pay for private schooling for a number of years, at the parents choice of schools.
Posted by: david | May 29, 2008 10:45 AM
Melissa,
I want to thank you for going public with your son's story. My daughter is 5 & was recently in the process of being diagnosed with Aspergers.
We kept the school informed each step of the way.
She suffered daily emotional abuse from the teacher & the principal. The teacher would have the class sing "You cant always get what you want"
by the Rolling Stones, when she would cry in class. She was removed from the classroom daily. Her name was put on the board for crying, daily. Finally one day she was so upset by this, that she walked down the hall,
without her aide, out the school door & through the parking lot! I identify with the heart ache you must feel, when you imagine your child living these expirences in the school, alone.
Our district has reassigned
the school's principal, but nothing was ever done about the teacher or the aide. Again I am so grateful & saddened to know that we are not alone in
what has happened to our family.
Best wishes,
Megan
Posted by: Megan | May 29, 2008 5:23 PM
Melissa,
I am appalled at what this teacher (and I use that term VERY loosly) did to this sweet child. To take such an unfair advantage over a child with a disability is just unthinkable! I founf the website for the school and emailed the Superintendant and expressed my outrage.
Melissa & Alex, we may never meet, but I applaud you in doing whatever you can to help your child and I wish you all that God can offer you. Keep your chin up Sweetie, and go get 'em!
God Bless,
Lauren in NJ
Posted by: Lauren C | May 29, 2008 6:06 PM
Unbelievable !!!!! Children are our future. Don´t care if they are white, colored, disabled or something else. Don´t allow this discrimination.
@director of school: how can you allow that somebody like this teaches at your school ? where is your responsibility ?
Posted by: Oliver | May 30, 2008 5:53 AM
Dearest Melissa & Alex, I am part of a group of adult aspies, and our members have similar stories, most of them hidden deep away because we never told them (our parents would probably have had little sympathy) and the teachers just got away with it. I am so thankful that this was brought out into the open and condemned by so may people. It is the only way to healing: knowing that what has happened is wrong and not growing up thinking that what happened, had a right to happen. I hope you can both find forgiveness for this ignorant teacher in time. It is the only way forward. In the meantime, I hope Alex will get my letter, too, because he must be special with a mom like you. Thanks, Barbara, for your support too.
Posted by: Adi | May 30, 2008 3:52 PM
I couldn't believe this story, it's so awful, the teacher should be fired, without a doubt. How can she feel she has done nothing wrong? Keep fighting for little Alex, he seems a great little kid.
I hope everything turns out well for the both of you.
Posted by: Simon George | May 31, 2008 12:26 AM
I too have a child who has had an issue like this, (not quite as bad though, but had the same long term effects on her emotional well being)and it is so sad to watch the your child be torn down by the very people they should normally be able to look up to and respect. These teachers are supposed to be role models and fight for what is right for your child, it just doesn't seem like that is the case in the school system today. I have recently pulled my daughter out of public school and started homeschooling. It has been a blessing in disguise, although I wish my daughter never had to endure the abuse of her teachers this year.
I hope Alex knows how lucky he is to have you for a mom and that he IS SPECIAL!!!!
Many Hugs and prayers coming your way.
If there is any way to help get that teacher fired, please let everyone know on here. I think the teacher should be brought in front of a group of us parents and we should be aloud to tell her why we do not like her right now and vote her out of the classroom!!!!!!
Good luck in your fight!!!! We are all behind you to get teachers like this out of the school system so that cannot do this to another kid!!
Posted by: wendy | May 31, 2008 12:40 AM
Melissa,
I'm so sorry this happened to Alex. This is unbelievable. Know that there are many good thoughts and blessings being sent your way from all over the world.
-
Alex,
YOU ARE SPECIAL!
*hugs*
Posted by: Bev | May 31, 2008 7:49 AM
