An Atlanta mom is alleging that her 7-year-old autistic son was slapped by his teacher inside a classroom.
The alleged assault took place at Cleveland Avenue Elementary School on Nov. 8. Police and officials with Atlanta Public Schools are investigating the incident.
"I don't know what could've caused this lady to react in a way that she felt so threatened by my three-foot-tall child," Reginique Stinson told FOX 5 Atlanta.
Her son, Gabriel, was allegedly struck by the teacher inside his classroom so hard that another teacher heard it and reported it, Stinson was told after the incident.
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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," Stinson said. "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."
APS school officials told FOX 5 that the district's Office of Employee Relations and Atlanta Public Schools Police have opened investigations into the alleged slap.
Stinson said she received few details about the incident and that she has since observed a change in her son's behavior.
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"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 explained.
Stinson is calling on the district to better train teachers with special education students and urging APS to install cameras inside all classrooms. She also said she has taken her son out of that class and is considering moving him to another school.
It is unclear what the teacher's employment status is after the slap.
