SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Kathie says her six year old son, named Connor, was a happy boy who loved to dance and sing, but she says he started throwing tantrums and getting angry with her at the beginning of the school year last Fall.
“That first month when we brought him home was devastating," Kathie said. "He was a shell of himself.”
Connor has autism and is nonverbal. He was enrolled in a special education class at Creekside Elementary. Kathie says in January, the school’s principal called to tell her about an investigation into Connor’s teacher.
“Getting that phone call was just, you feel like all the pieces come together, and you're like, everything makes sense.”
Kathie is now suing the Poway Unified School District. She filed a complaint claiming that her son was physically and emotionally abused by his teacher. We aren't naming the teacher because he hasn't been charged. The complaint alleges that Connor’s teacher would hit him, press him against the wall, drag him across the classroom, and sometimes isolate him to a corner. It also claims that the teacher has a previous conviction for child abuse. I asked the district about its vetting of new hires. A representative responded saying candidates are directed to complete a fingerprint background check for state and federal criminal records.
“It wasn’t right, it’s not fair to Connor, it’s not fair to his classmates," Kathie said. "The other kids shouldn’t have had to witness that.”
The complaint alleges that the administration at Creekside was aware of this teacher’s behavior and did not act on it until the end of January. San Diego Police says it's Child Abuse Unit investigated the case, and then forwarded it to the San Diego City Attorney's Office. Kathie has moved her son to a new school, but says he’s still struggling to bounce back to his normal self.
“It’s heartbreaking, when he has his meltdowns and his moments of not being able to tell me how he feels. It’s heartbreaking to see him so upset.”
Poway Unified School District says the administration began investigating the teacher immediately after staff raised concerns and placed him on administrative leave. He then resigned in February.
Here's their full statement:
"[The teacher] was hired as an Educational Specialist by the Poway Unified School District in August 2023 and submitted his resignation in February 2024. He has not been employed or affiliated with our school district since his resignation. Toward the end of his brief tenure, concerns were raised by staff related to his interactions with a student. When administration became aware of these concerns, an immediate investigation was initiated and the employee was placed on administrative leave. Local law officials also initiated an investigation. Shortly after the investigations commenced, [the teacher] submitted his resignation.
In regard to background checks, California public school employees must be fingerprinted and a criminal background clearance must be received by the employing school district and county office prior to new employees rendering paid service. New hire candidates are directed to the San Diego County Office of Education Clearinghouse and Live Scan fingerprinting services. Live Scan fingerprinting checks include State (DOJ) and Federal (FBI) level criminal history record checks."
