Education

Third Fairfax, Va. School Employee Charged With Assaulting Autistic Students In One Week

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Rob Shimshock Education Reporter
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Authorities charged Wednesday a third Fairfax County, Virginia, public school employee in one week with assault of an autistic student.

School bus aid Hyung Lee is facing two counts of battery and assault for alleged interactions in October, according to a Fairfax County Police Department news release obtained by The Washington Post. Lee submitted himself to authorities on Tuesday.

Surveillance footage from a school bus displayed Lee assaulting an unnamed autistic student on Oct. 10 and Oct. 19, after which the student’s mother saw that her son’s arms were bruised and reported the incidents to police. The district suspended the aide without pay. Authorities also charged Edmund Bailey, another aide, and bus driver James Duffy III with assault and battery on an 11-year-old student.

“When parents put their children on a school bus, it is with the understanding that they will arrive at their destination safely and on time,” said John Torre, a school district spokesman, to WaPo. “Regrettably, the charges filed in these separate cases fall short of those expectations and are breaches of the valued trust of our parents.”

Torre mentioned that the district is retraining employees involved in the transportation of special needs students to schools.

Fairfax County Public Schools put another employee, teacher “Mr. Saunders,” on leave after the teacher pulled off a student’s hijab, an incident which some students and teachers say was accidental. (RELATED: Teacher Put On Leave After Pulling Off Student’s Hijab)

The Daily Caller News Foundation reached out to the district for comment, but received none in time for press.

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