Mother of 3rd Grade Autistic Boy Files Suit After School Worker Throws Her Child Across a Room

The mother of a nine-year-old boy has filed a lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court after a school worker allegedly threw the child across an empty room.

Tiria Jones’s autistic son was just days into the new school year at Four Creeks School when an altercation with one of the school workers resulted in the child suffering injuries including bruises on his leg.

The lawsuit which was obtained and reported on by The Oregonian details several instances of mistreatment of the boy. The lawsuit details that the school originally claimed that the child was reprimanded after he climbed on top of a bookshelf and began spitting and kicking at staff.

The complaint goes on to detail that when Jones asked to see footage of her child's behavior at school, she was told that her child had been restrained and then separated from the rest of his class. In the footage, Jones recounts seeing a school worker grabbing her son as he grappled with opening up a locked door. The footage then shows her son being taken down a hallway and then pushed into a secluded room. When the child stuck his foot in between the door in order to keep it from closing, the worker allegedly picked up the child and then flung him across the room. As a result of the physical altercation, the child struck his head.

Corporal punishment in public schools is still legal across 19 states in the nation, but Oregon is not included as one of those states. While corporal punishment is outlawed, Oregon Public School staff are allowed to resort to physical restraints as well as confinement against the child's wishes. However, according to the district's training guidelines, this can only be done as a last resort to maintain the safety of that child, other students, and school employees.

Laura Conroy, a spokesperson for the Multnomah Education Service District, has called the allegations against the school worker “deeply concerning.” Conroy shares that the school district serves many students who have come from homes where abuse, abandonment, violence, and drugs are prevalent. As a result of these traumatic experiences, many students display behaviors that can be harmful to both themselves, their peers, and other staff members. In an effort to help students, Conroy shared that the school has several measures in place including seclusion rooms where students are taken as a way to de-escalate tense situations.

In a statement shared with The Oregonian, the boy's mother says, "I do not want any family to go through what we have gone through. The district needs to understand the harm this caused and make changes to keep all students safe from abuse in the future."

The principal of Four Creek, Nicole Hilton, has since reached out to Jones and shared, "My heart is heavy over the events that transpired. I can't imagine how you are feeling."

According to the lawsuit, the family is seeking $700,000 in damages for emotional harm and physical injuries sustained.