Officials are reportedly investigating claims from a Millsap ISD mother that two staff members abused her autistic son.
Carissa Kozak Cornelius shared the allegations on social media and included a video in which one of the staff members appears to hit her son, Alex Cornelius, in the head, followed by another staff member seemingly withholding an item from the boy before throwing it back at him, per WFAA.
Cornelius said she was in shock when she first saw the video, explaining that it took her over a week to learn about the incident.
“He can’t come home and tell me, ‘Mommy, they hit me,’ or, ‘Mommy, they’re mean to me.’ He’s non-verbal,” she said, per Fox 4 DFW.
Alex’s grandfather, Mark Allen, said it was “devastating” to see that video because “autistic children are some of the most vulnerable among us.”
“The person who took the video knew that the video needed to be taken is another indication, to me, that this has probably been going on for a while,” he said, per Fox 4.
Millsap ISD released a statement regarding the incident, writing that the district is “aware of allegations regarding teacher misconduct in a special education classroom at Millsap Elementary School.”
“The educators involved were immediately placed on administrative leave, they never returned to the classroom, and they are no longer employed by the District. The District reported the incident to local law enforcement, Child Protective Services (CPS), and the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). To ensure a thorough, prompt, and unbiased investigation was conducted, the District utilized an outside investigator to investigate the allegations. At the investigator’s recommendation, the District’s review of educator conduct has expanded to include campus administration. Both the principal and assistant principal are now on administrative leave while we work through that process,” added the district.
Now, State Board of Education Member Brandon Hall is calling on Millsap ISD Superintendent Dr. Edie Martin to resign from her position due to the allegations.
“When Superintendent Martin failed to notify Carissa Kozak that her child was the subject of an abuse investigation, she violated the rights of the parent,” said Hall.
“I am calling on Edie Martin to resign expeditiously so the Millsap ISD Board of Trustees can appoint an interim superintendent who will ensure student safety,” stated Hall, per WFAA.
The Parker County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a statement provided to Fox 4 that there is “an active current investigation” taking place but did not provide any details.