Education Law
Mom Hears From AG, Concerned Parents After Class Voted to Expel Her Autistic Son
Posted May 29, 2008, 10:47 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
The Florida Attorney General’s Office has contacted a Florida woman whose misbehaving autistic 5-year-old son was expelled from class last week based on a vote of his classmates.
Melissa Barton had said she was considering a lawsuit over the incident in a Port St. Lucie School. She said the teacher made her son, Alex, stand in the front of her classroom while each classmate was allowed to say what they disliked about him. The she had the students vote on whether he should remain; Alex lost by a vote of 14 to 2.
Since reports of the incident surfaced, Barton has received hundreds of supportive e-mails and a call from Phil McGraw, who asked if she would like to appear as a guest on Dr. Phil, TCPalm reports. She also received a call from the state Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights. The story didn’t elaborate on the conversation.
The school later reassigned the teacher to district offices pending an investigation.
Alex is in the process of being diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, a type of high-functioning autism. He screamed when his mother drove near the school and has not attended class since the incident. The other night, Barton said, he kept repeating "I'm not special" over and over.
But he brightened when he received a call from a classmate Tuesday evening who discussed SpongeBob SquarePants and squirrels with him.
Barton says she has heard from many parents of special needs kids who have had problems in school for behavior that isn't their fault. “It’s not something you can correct with some sort of demented behavior modification program,” she said.
Barton and her son gave an interview to CBS News, and she is considering the Dr. Phil invitation.
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Comments
Posted by msg - 5 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 15 hours, 7 minutes ago
She will ruin any credibility by appearing on the Dr. Phil show. He is a certified quak! That is the only thing he is certified in - being a media quak and media hoar!
Posted by GM - 5 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 22 hours, 38 minutes ago
I am appalled that we continue to mainstream kids with mental disabilities into ordinary classes to the detriment of all.
Kudos to the teacher.
Posted by Paul - 5 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 9 hours, 33 minutes ago
Well, “Dr.“ Phil won’t fix the problem, but he may educate people about autism.
True, mainstreaming kids with mental disabilities into ordinary classes can be to the detriment of all—but the teacher was irresponsible to hold a referendum of five-year-old children on pedogogical issues.
How about a little bit of common sense in the comments?
Posted by boohiss - 5 months, 2 weeks, 6 days, 13 hours, 8 minutes ago
Leave it to ambulance-chasing Dr. Phil to come to the rescue!
By the way, is there a FATHER in this story? Or is this another of those ubiquitous “single moms” trying to raise a son without a father around him, to the detriment of all?