Student Assault in MN

If you're in MN, and saw the WCCO news last night, I'm sure you were as appalled as I was! If you didn't see it, go here, and find the video that says, "Family of Abused Special Needs Child Wants Answers. Then come back here and read some more.....

If you're a long time reader, you may remember these posts I made, when Angela was assaulted at school by a substitute classroom aid.

Because of the attitude of Dakota County Attorney on the case at the time, (and, quite frankly, she was a bully!) I eventually let the case drop. I wasn't even allowed to have a copy of the police report, where it's stated that the staff person admitted to the assault. Believe me, I was fuming!

Because I couldn't (was basically threatened by the county attorney that if I did, the case would turn against Angela) that staff person is able to work in any other school district in the state, and nothing will show up on a background check. Because she's not lisenced staff, when records are check at the State Department of Education, nothing will show up there either. It doesn't even matter that the investigation done by the State. Dept. of Ed found the staff person did indeed commit malicious maltreatment against Angela.

Finally, I just put it all behind us....

Fast forward to last night's news report about little Kyle. It only took me a few minutes to find his mom online, and to email the news reporter who did the report. I heard back from them this morning. The news investigator wanted more information about our case, which I gave her. She also wanted the name of the person who assaulted Angela.

Way back 2 years ago, I had to beg and plead to get the name of the person who hurt my child. School couldn't give it to me. The police department couldn't give it to me, but said it was included in the police report, but the county attorney (you know, the bully?) needed to approve my access to the police report. Finally, I called the county attorney's office one day about a question I had. The person I needed to talk to was on her lunch break, and there was someone else watching the desk. From the brief moment I talked to her, she didn't sound like she knew procedures very well, so I asked her, "I need the name off the case #...file#....My daughter (insert Angela's full name) is the child in the case." She put me on hold and a minute later came back and gave me the name of the woman! HA!

At the time, I was leery about posting the name on my blog, because I was waiting for the report from the Department of Education. By the time that came (2 months later) I just wanted to be done with everything.

So today, when the news investigator asked me for it, I couldn't remember it! The woman had a hyphenated name, and school knew her by one name, and her friends by another, which I thought was strange! I could remember part of it, but not the whole thing. I sent all the information I had, and told her I'd get back to her with the staff person's name.

I went into my office, the one I haven't used in over a year, and stared at my desk. I could picture a TINY piece of paper with the name and a couple other things scratched on it. Looking at my desk, I knew my chanced of finding it were slim to none. I opened a couple drawers, and shuffled some things around, and then I remembered, about a year ago, contemplating throwing it away because I didn't really need it anymore. So I sat on my office chair, closed my eyes, and prayed: "Lord, I wanted to let this go. And yet, this person is still working with these kids, in a position where someone could really get hurt. Please Lord, if I NEED this information now, help me find it."

I opened my eyes, opened the drawer in front of me, and there was the TINY scrap of paper, right ON TOP! It had the person's name, and all the case and file numbers I needed to re-access all the information. I was quick to send the information to the reporter, and then questions started to fill my head....

I have the person's name. During the police investigation, after MUCH questioning and lying, she finally admitted to hurting Angela. She was found to have maltreated Angela in the investigation conducted by the State Department of Education. While she will never work in OUR district again, I have been told by someone who knows her that she IS working in another district in the area, in the same capacity.

I have had a lot of parents contact me in the past 24 hrs, worried that she is working with their kids. I don't blame them. I'd want to know too. So, watch for an upcoming post!