WHARTON, Texas – A Wharton mother is expressing frustration with the school district after her 8-year-old son, who has special needs, alleged that he was being starved, abused, and subjected to corporal punishment by his teacher due to behavioral issues.
Compounding her distress, the mother claims that instead of the teacher being fired, she was merely reassigned to another class of special needs children.
The mother, who did not want to be identified, spoke to KPRC 2′s Deven Clarke, and said she is escalating her concerns to the Texas Education Agency, seeking drastic action.
The mother reports that her son, a third-grader at Wharton Elementary School, has not attended school for several months due to the distress he experiences at the thought of seeing his teacher.
“He was just breaking out in hives, like he doesn’t want to go to school, he doesn’t want to see his teacher at all,” she said.
She describes instances where the teacher informed her of behavioral issues but did not disclose the punishment methods.
“Never did she say well he blurted out answers so I made him do a wall sit,” the mother said. “And if he didn’t do it right, if he wasn’t kneeling enough she would put a 24-pack of water on his legs and make him stand there.”
According to the mother, her son came home in distress, with wet clothes and in pain. When asked why he didn’t go to the bathroom, he responded that he had to clean the floor with his hands if it was dirty.
“He says I don’t go to the bathroom. He says because I have to clean the bathroom on the floor with my hands…he said somebody peed on the floor and she makes us all clean it up,” she said.
The mother states that, to her knowledge, the teacher has not faced significant disciplinary action and was simply moved to another classroom within the same school.
Deven Clarke reached out to Wharton ISD for a comment but was informed that someone more familiar with the situation would need to respond.
With tears in her eyes, the mother shares the hardest part is knowing she couldn’t be there to help her son, who is now scared to leave the house.
The mother adds that the school justified the actions by saying she did not sign a form opting out of corporal punishment. Her son is currently being homeschooled and sees a counselor twice a week. She has filed a report with Wharton ISD Police and hopes to press charges.
