An Atlanta mom is searching for answers after speaking with Fox 5 News and revealing that her 7-year-old son who has autism was allegedly slapped by his teacher last week. Now authorities are investigating the incident.
While speaking with Fox 5, Reginique Stinson said she was shocked to find out that her son was slapped inside his classroom at Cleveland Avenue Elementary School on Nov. 8. According to the report, the 7-year-old was “slapped so hard” another teacher heard it and reported it. “I don’t know what could’ve caused this lady to react in a way that she felt so threatened by my 3-foot-tall child,” Reginique Stinson told FOX 5 on Saturday.
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“I just can’t imagine how my son could’ve felt in that moment. He’s never experienced something like that. I don’t hit my child,” she explained. “I feel like she definitely took advantage of the fact that he’s non-verbal in hitting him because she knew he can’t really speak up for himself,” she added. APS school officials confirmed both the district’s Office of Employee Relations and Atlanta Public Schools Police have started an investigation but no further information was available.
Since the alleged incident, Stinson says she can tell her son isn’t the same. “Outside of me dropping him off, my sister drops him off, and she was like, ‘He didn’t want to go into his classroom,’” she recalled.
The mother is pleading for teachers to receive the proper training and being trained on how to deal with children with special needs.
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It’s unclear what the teacher’s current employment status is, but Stinson said she has since taken her son out of that class. She’s also considering switching schools altogether.