Special Needs Student Assaulted by School Workers

Two employees at St. John’s Elementary in Darlington, South Carolina have been arrested after the release of a disturbing video that shows them yelling at, pushing and striking a ten-year-old special needs student.

Tomeka Self and Rosanna Dudley have been charged with assault and battery and are scheduled to appear in court next week. 

South Carolina police released the video on Tuesday showing the non-verbal youngster being slapped in the face, pushed and verbally abused as the two women attempt to fit him with a restraining harness. According to reports, the bus driver tipped off police about the incident, prompting them to review the bus’s security footage.

These types of stories are disturbing and no doubt occur more times than we realize. It’s only the increase of security cameras in recent years that has raised our awareness of how widespread the problem actually is.

Hopefully, this trend will continue and create some accountability for educators and school employees who work around special needs children, minimizing or completely eliminating these incidents in the future.