SB 355 on Mandatory Reporters related to Child Abuse
Date: February 3, 2012
Dear Senator Unterman,
· In response to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oxeR7M4PvY&feature=youtu.be&a and proposed SB 355 http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-US/Display/20112012/SB/355 , I have attached for your review the recent PDF decision by ALJ Kimberly Schroer in the Alex Williams vs Fulton County School District case of severe and horrific physical and mental child abuse on several students with disabilities including Alex at the Hopewell Elementary School in Fulton County. It contains and outlines abuse by one teacher, Melanie Pickens who was allowed to continue to harm these students for years due to non reporting practice by the Principal of the school even though the known child abuse was continuing daily and reported to the Principal by many levels of educators and staff at the school including county level special education supervisors, sometimes repeatedly and over several years. It is a sickening and unbelievable story which quite frankly has set special education back 30 years. It certainly demonstrates Principals have TOO much power and control and we must work to put checks and balances in our educational systems to protect ALL children so this type of incident can never happen again.
Therefore, we must make sure there are absolutely NO loopholes in SB 355 for Educators and School District employees and there can NO longer be one person in the educational system the “sole” mandatory reporter to DFACS and Police (which previously has been the Principal). No longer can we allow DFACS when abuse is reported in schools to turn it back over to the school for them to police themselves. DFACS must be mandatory reporters as well and made to investigate and report to police for criminal investigation. NO longer can we allow Principals to only report to the School Resource Office, which is a hired school district employee. School Resource Officers must be mandatory reporters and report to DFACS and police.
VERY concerning, to date, the teacher and Principal in this matter have neither one been charged criminally, even though there has been a Fulton County documented report of criminal abuse and cover-up by the school district since 2007. WHY?
Here are recent news reports on this case:.
http://www.ajc.com/news/judge-fulton-schools-owes-1327242.html#.Tyn0BGXVcCI.email
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/fulton-schools-ordered-pay-tuition-after-abuse-tea/nHSHD/
Wednesday another school case came to light in Bibb county involving seven teenagers at Northeast High School in which a 16-year-old special-needs student was allegedly raped and sodomized for about an hour in one of the school’s boys restrooms. Here again school police initially did NOT report this matter to Macon Police for criminal investigation. This must stop! I have seen no reporting that this matter has been turned over to DFACS.
Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2012/02/01/1886921/superintendent-says-he-wasnt-aware.html#storylink=cpy
I would love to discuss these matters with you personally at your convenience. Please provide me a time to call your office that you will be available. We need to protect all our children in GA, esp. our must vulnerable populations of special needs children who cannot speak and report abuse themselves.
Thank you for your time and consideration to this matter.
Respectfully,
Advocacy & Consulting Services - IEPadvocate4you
Carol Sadler, Special Education Consultant/Advocate
GA Advocacy Office PLSP I Graduate
770-442-8357
1105 Rock Pointe Look
Woodstock, GA 30188
CarolSadler@bellsouth.net
www.IEPadvocate4You.com
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"There is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequal people." ---- Thomas Jefferson
“Refrain from Restraining, Secluding and Corporal Punishment & Aversives are Abusive and Dehumanizing” ---- Carol Sadler, Advocate
GNET=GetNoEducation/Therapy=PsychoNOed=Jail without Jury or Trial=Imprisonment without Legal Representation
CONFIDENTIAL AND PRIVILEGED
Information contained in this communication is confidential and privileged. It is not meant to represent legal or medical advice, but rather advice given based on my knowledge as a trained Parent Advocate by the GA Advocacy Office, Council of Parent Advocates & Attorneys, CHADD, LDA, the GA DOE Parent Mentor program as an invited guest and the special education attorneys that I often work with on educational matters. Please do not forward without my permission.
CC: Disability List Servs and Agencies P.S. I encourage other parents, advocates and disability agencies to read and share this information as well and help advocate for changes in Mandatory Reporting practices in our schools! Please distribute widely!
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Attachment(s) from Chris Vance
1 of 1 File(s)
posted by Carol Sadler @ 8:54 AM
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