Texas Parents File $1M Lawsuit Against Behavioral Center for Alleged Assault of Autistic Son

A behavioral center in North Texas is facing a $1 million lawsuit for allegedly concealing and distorting information regarding the physical assault of a young boy with non-verbal autism.

Ramila Chalise and Prabesh Poudel have filed a lawsuit against ABA Interactive, a center in North Richland Hills, where they had enrolled their 7-year-old son, referred to as “Y.P.”

The lawsuit alleged that ABA Interactive was responsible for the actions of its employees and had failed to meet the necessary standards of care and supervision. The parents are seeking compensation for the physical pain, mental anguish, and suffering experienced by their son.

An alleged assault reportedly occurred on Thursday, July 25, in the 8200 block of Mid Cities Boulevard.

Poudel, the child’s father, mentioned in the legal document that he came to the center after work to collect his son. Poudel mentioned that while he was passing by Kiara Henry, the owner and director of ABA Interactive, she informed him about an incident report that required his signature.

Poudel then received an incident report from another employee, detailing his son’s behavioral episode where he “scratched himself.”

According to the form, which was given by the parents’ lawyers at Firouzbakht Law Firm, it was reported that “Y.P.” exhibited maladaptive behavior during the incident. This behavior involved having a tantrum and scratching the right side of his face. According to the report, “Y.P.” was calmly engaged in circle time, attentively listening to a story before the incident occurred.

Read More: 4-month-old Slammed on Kitchen Counter by Mom’s Girlfriend in Michigan; Charges Filed after Baby Taken off from Life Support

The suit claims that Henry informed the parents about an alleged incident involving Y.P. and a staff member. When he remained agitated, another staff member calmly restrained him by gently lifting him by the collar. At that moment, Y.P. apparently scratched himself while the staff members momentarily looked away from the camera.

Chalise was taken aback by the delayed disclosure and raised concerns about the omission of this information from the incident report. According to the lawsuit, Henry shared that the staff member in question had been suspended from providing care at the center and was now only offering care in an in-home setting.

According to the document, the parents received a call from another therapist at the center expressing concerns about Henry and suggesting that he might be hiding a video. Several days later, another therapist informed them that they had obtained a copy of the video and proceeded to show it to them.

The suit detailed the events that allegedly occurred in the video. According to the report, Y.P. was observed touching the employee’s lap with his hands, but in a manner that seemed more attention-seeking than aggressive. A staff member was witnessed displaying aggressive behavior towards a child, causing harm and distress.

According to the document, Chalise and Poudel went to the North Richland Hills Police Department and filed a report based on what they witnessed.

After conducting a thorough investigation, the police department uncovered several undisclosed complaints against the therapist at the behavior center. Consequently, authorities have issued an arrest warrant for the serious offense of injury to a child, which is classified as a second-degree felony. No arrests have been made as of Tuesday.

Source: NBC News

Also Read: Nevada Woman Arrested after She Forced 2 Children to Touch Her Inappropriately; Recorded Video to Avoid Blackmailing Attempt by Ex-Boyfriend