Teachers Given Paid Leave After Audio Recording Exposes Child Abuse

A parent who sent her child to an elementary school in West Virginia decided to send her daughter to school one day with a recording device, after her daughter had indicated that she didn't want to go back to school.

The recording from just one day allegedly caught multiple instructors from the school verbally abusing and threatening special needs children.

After the school district had failed to act, when she took the recording to them late last year, the concerned parent then turned to social media to post about it. That's when other parents at the school found out about what has been going on. After the news broke, those instructors were placed on paid leave while the matter was investigated further.

Parents became so upset, feeling like nothing was being done over the matter, that they started organizing protests.

"We're protesting because we find it crazy that it's been four months and the teachers are still getting paid they have not yet been fired, the investigation has not been closed up and I don't feel like they are taking it seriously," - A Pack, the mother who hid the recording device in her daughter's hair

Now, it's reported that the resignations of those involved have been accepted. The prosecutors office also hasn't found any criminal wrongdoing over the matter. Although, they've reportedly admitted in a letter to parents that they do not condone the actions of the instructors.

The school district is still reportedly investigating the incident and they've declined multiple interviews. Another investigation into the incident has also been launched by the Civil Rights Office of the U.S. Department of Education.

At least 2 students who had suffered the abuse have now changed schools and parents are still calling for the resignation of the superintendent of Berkeley County schools.

The West Virginia attorney general has also recently sought a court order to prevent those instructors, identified from the audio recording, from ever working with children in either a volunteer setting or from a paid position again. The court order also seeks thousands of dollars in civil penalties for violating the state's Human Rights Act.

Pics:
pixabay
pic 2 - localdvm