Teacher in US charged with assault for dragging boy with autism

Image: Screengrab from Facebook/Angel Nelson

A former teacher from Wurtland, Kentucky was charged with assault after she was found dragging a 9-year-old student with autism by the wrists down the hallways of Wurtland Elementary School, a sight that was captured by school security cameras.

Angel Nelson, the mother of the student, shared the harrowing video on Facebook last Jan. 6 to ask help and advice from the public. The incident, which happened last October 2018, involved her son Alan and his teacher, Trina Abrams.

As per Nelson, Alan has been diagnosed with autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. He also has speech limitations.

In the video, Abrams, wearing a red shirt, was seen dragging Alan out of the classroom and down the school hallways by his wrists. At one point in the video, she stops walking and yanks up his arm before continuing to drag him.

According to Nelson, Abrams forcefully grabbed Alan by the wrist and bent it backward during a meltdown, which he sometimes experiences.

“The camera within the classroom had previously been turned towards the corner, so, unfortunately, there is no video in the classroom,” Nelson wrote. “According to my son, she threw him hard down onto a chair. Beyond this, we will never truly know what took place behind that closed door because of my son’s speech limitations.”

https://www.facebook.com/angel.vance.56/videos/2291777691106116/

She further shared that the incident was violent enough that it injured her son’s wrists and destroyed his shoes. He also exhibited regression in motor skills such as handwriting, buttoning pants and tying his shoelaces, among others.

“He will have to do more intense occupational therapy to regain his skills that took so long to grasp,” Nelson said. “This has also emotionally traumatized him.”

Abrams has since been fired from Wurtland Elementary School in view of the dragging incident.  Greenup County Schools Superintendent Sherry Horsley, via WSAZ on Jan. 7, shared that Abrams no longer teaches in the school.

“The Greenup County School District prioritizes the safety of our students. The district followed established safety protocol as soon as this situation became known,” read a statement shared by Horsley. “The parent was contacted immediately and the student was assessed by the school nurse and referred for outside medical evaluation.”

Child Protective Services was also contacted while the Kentucky State Police opened an investigation. Meanwhile, the incident has been reported to the Kentucky Education Standards Board which decides whether Abrams would get to keep her teaching certificate.

Abrams, meanwhile, faced a judge on Jan. 9 and pleaded not guilty to assault charges. As per Nelson, she is due back in court on Feb. 20. Cody Cepeda/NVG

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