The parents of a 3-year-old nonverbal autistic child have released a video that appears to show a school employee hitting and carrying their son upside down by his ankles. The incident took place at Rosa Parks Early Learning Center in Dayton, Ohio on August 21. Taneshia Lindsay and Robert Tootle, the child’s parents, accused the school administrators of downplaying the incident and withholding the full video footage.
According to Lindsay, she was initially told by a school administrator that her son, Braylen, had been “swatted” by a school employee. However, the security video from inside the school tells a different story. In the video, Braylen can be seen running down a hallway, followed by the school employee who appears to strike him in the head, causing him to fall. The employee then proceeds to carry Braylen upside down by his ankles.
The employee has since resigned after being placed on administrative leave. The parents and their attorney are calling for transparency from the school district and demanding to see the full video. They question why their son wasn’t handled in a gentler manner and believe that what happened can be considered assault.
Dayton Public Schools claimed that the parents were informed of the incident on the day it occurred and that they promptly notified the relevant authorities. The district stated that they are taking additional measures to ensure proper training and qualification of their employees.
The family wants the school employee to be arrested and charged. Dayton police have presented the case to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office for review. Despite the incident, the family currently has no plans to remove Braylen from the school as long as he is treated with respect and feels comfortable there.