A student with special needs in North Carolina alleges that a teacher physically assaulted him, reportedly sitting on him and choking him during an incident that resulted in bruising and bleeding around his neck and face.
According to the family in a recent interview, the teacher later informed the boy’s mother that there had been a “tussle” involving her son.
Chris Mason, along with his parents Rodney Rothoff and Queen Miller, shared their experience with the local NBC affiliate regarding an incident that allegedly occurred last month at Jay M. Robinson High School in Cabarrus County, located approximately 20 miles northeast of Charlotte.
The station has shared that Mason has received a diagnosis of autism, cerebral palsy, and an intellectual developmental disability. His father stated that because of Mason’s various medical conditions, there are specific protocols that teachers and school staff must adhere to when a behavioral issue arises at school.
“They are supposed to take him on walks, calm him down, use techniques,” Rothoff said.
The protocol is included in an individualized education program aimed at supporting Mason’s growth and development.
However, Mason’s parents asserted that the events in late October involving a male teacher, whose name was omitted from the report and is not under any charges, unfolded quite differently.
“When I first seen him, he was shaking all over and I thought he was having a seizure because that’s how bad he was shaking,” Miller told the station. But what she discovered next was even more disturbing.
“My child had at least 15 different bruises on his body,” she stated emphatically.
Miller promptly contacted the teacher, who reportedly responded, “Oh, we had a bit of a scuffle today.”
Mason was said to be attempting to exit the classroom when the situation with the teacher intensified into a physical confrontation.
“He grabbed me by my neck when I got to the door,” Mason said, adding, “He choked me and he sat on me.”
Mason’s parents took him out of school the day following the incident, asserting that the staff and supervisors were not supportive in addressing the matter. According to WCNC, the district reportedly did not submit an incident report and declined to meet with them.
However, Rothhoff mentioned that he and his wife decided to report to the police the following Wednesday. The school principal contacted them that Thursday, informing them he was available for a meeting early Friday morning.
On Friday morning, the parents discovered that the teacher alleged to have harmed their son was no longer with the Cabarrus County School District.