The Peel District School Board has launched an investigation into an educator accused of physically assaulting a non-verbal autistic student.
On April 7, Kiannah McCarthy says she was called to her child’s school in Brampton by the principal. She says that upon arriving, she immediately sensed it was not a routine meeting.
“They told me to come into the office, sat down with the principal and the VP, and they said, ‘Listen, because of our relationship, I didn’t want to give this news to you over the phone,’” she tells Now Toronto.
She says school officials then informed her that her 6-year-old non-verbal autistic son had been physically abused by an Educational Assistant.
“My world is shattered, because that is like the worst feeling or thought that can come to truth or reality,” she said.
McCarthy says she was told the incident occurred during a routine lockdown. She alleges that an educator walking by to check on the classroom observed the EA striking her son on the bottom about three times.
“They escorted her off the premises, and she’s been suspended with pay since April 7,” McCarthy said.
Incident under investigation by Peel CAS and PDSB
Following the incident, McCarthy says the Peel Children’s Aid Society (CAS) opened an investigation, which she says was deemed verified last week.
With CAS having completed its findings, McCarthy says this has allowed the Peel District School Board (PDSB) to begin its own internal investigation, which the board confirmed to Now Toronto has now officially been launched.
“The school is currently investigating the matter and will continue to maintain ongoing communication with the family throughout the process. Across all cases, PDSB is committed to ensuring accountability, transparency, and appropriate support, while balancing the privacy rights of those involved,” the school board said.
As a result, identifying details about the educator, including their name, have not been released due to privacy and confidentiality rules surrounding the investigation. However, McCarthy says she already suspects who it may be, citing prior concerns and communication logs involving the educator.
“Her tone was very strong. ‘You need to tell [him] to stop biting [his] clothes. You need to tell [him] that [he] needs to stop climbing on this or whatever.’ As a mom, you have that sixth sense. I was like, something’s wrong with this educator,” she said.
The incident comes just weeks before a separate case in the Halton District School Board, where an investigation was opened after another non-verbal autistic student was allegedly physically harmed by an Early Childhood Educator.
Read More
After that incident gained public attention, McCarthy says she was sent coverage of it and remains shocked that similar allegations have emerged across multiple school boards.
“How is this happening to our children in the same place that it’s supposed to be the environment to protect them? We send them to this place for them to learn, to grow, to interact, to socialise, to build connections and relationships, but with the same people that are basically harbouring danger against our children,” she said.
Mother of victim demands better preventative measures in-school
McCarthy is now calling on school boards to implement additional safeguards to ensure vulnerable students are protected, including installing cameras in sensory rooms.
“Let’s get cameras in the room, because this is where our vulnerable sector of children are the majority of the time,” she said. “If something were to happen, a child was to fall off the chair, this could collaborate in terms of the child wasn’t pushed or anything like that.”
Although McCarthy says she is awaiting the results of the Peel District School Board investigation, she says the process has felt slow and leaves her feeling “like a sitting duck.”
“Had this been me abusing my son, immediate action would have taken place. As a social worker, our first step is to remove the child from the home and do all the other procedures and protocols. I just felt like things were a little bit sluggish.”
McCarthy says she has been told by school officials that they are working to complete the investigation promptly.
Now Toronto reached out to the Ministry of Education for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
