ANITA: 10 ON YOUR SIDE
INVESTIGATES DISTURBING SCHOOL
VIDEO WE HAVE BEEN COVERING ALL
WEEK.
IT COMPELLED A MOTHER TO FILE
ASSAULT CHARGES AGAINST HER
SON'S SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND
SPECIAL ED TEACHER.
TOM: BUT AS
WE SHOWED YOU
BEFORE, THE SCHOOL PTA IS
STANDING BY THEM.
CHRIS: SEVEN-YEAR-OLD ERIC
CHAPMAN HAS ADHD.
HIS MOTHER ADMITS SHE HAD A HARD
TIME BELIEVING HIM WHEN HE TOLD
HER ABOUT BEING PULLED, DRAG,
CARRIED AWAY, AND LOCKED AT
SCHOOL UNTIL SHE SAW THE VIDEO.
SEVEN-YEAR-OLD ERIC CHAPMAN
LIKES TO PLAY WITH CARS AND THE
REST OF HIS TOYS AT HOME IN
VIRGINIA BEACH, BUT IN FIRST
GRADE LESS YEAR, HE WAS THE ONE
BEING DRAGGED AROUND LIKE A RAG
DOLL.
HERE IS ERIC'S SPECIAL ED
TEACHER, ALLISON WILLIAMS, AS
ERIC TRIES TO HOLD ONTO HIS
CHAIR.
THEY CAME IN THE ROOM,
AND
THEY PULLED ME OFF OF MY CHAIR.
CHRIS:
IN THIS CASE, IT IS THE
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
SHE NEVER GOES INTO THE ROOM.
SHE GOES IN
IMMEDIATELY TO THE
FLOOR WHERE HE IS LAYING ON THE
FLOOR.
THIS IS HER PHYSICALLY
RESTRAINING, PUTTING HIM IN THIS
HOLD, DRAGGING HIM OFF
AGGRESSIVELY FOR NO REASON.
THAT IS HIS SPECIAL EDUCATION
TEACHER HOLDING HER COFFEE.
CHRIS: SHE
SAID HER FEARS WERE
CONFIRMED WHEN SHE GOT THIS
SCHOOL VIDEO THROUGH THE FREEDOM
OF INFORMATION ACT.
MY SON WAS BEING ASSAULTED.
CHRIS: THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SAID
ERIC WAS AN ONGOING RISK FOR
HIMSELF AND CLASSMATES.
HE WAS DISCIPLINED EIGHT TIMES
LAST SCHOOL YEAR FOR DEFIANCE,
INSUBORDINATION, PHYSICAL ABUSE,
AND HARASSMENT.
HOLLOWAY THEN CONFIRMED WHAT
ERIC TOLD HER ABOUT WHERE THEY
WERE CARRYING HIM.
THEY LOCKED ME IN A ROOM.
CHRIS: IT WAS A SECLUSION
ROOM,
THE KIND WE HAVE DESCRIBED IN
INVESTIGATIONS.
HOLLOWAY WANTED TIME LOCKS FOR
WHAT IS CALLED THE QUIET ROOM
WHERE ERIC HAD BEEN SECLUDED AND
FOR HOW LONG.
SHE SAYS SHE IS STILL WAITING.
WE ALSO SHOW THE VIDEO TO A
CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST WHO
SPECIALIZES WITH CHILDREN WITH
SPECIAL NEEDS.
THIS IS NOT CORRECT AND I
THINK MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY IT
IS NOT CORRECT.
HOW DO WE DEAL WITH A CHILD
WHOSE BEHAVIOR IS A PROBLEM?
IT IS NOT CARRYING THEM OFF.
IT IS NOT SECLUSION.
IT IS NOT RESTRAINT.
CHRIS: HE SAYS WHEN A CHILD HAS
AUTOMATIC BEHAVIORS, IT IS UP TO
THE SCHOOL AND PARENTS TO COME
UP WITH A SOLUTION.
I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY
PLANNING GOING INTO THIS OR ANY
THOUGHT, MINDFULNESS ABOUT WHAT
WE NEED TO DO FOR THIS CHILD.
CHRIS: THE ADMINISTRATION SAYS
ITS EFFORTS TO PROVIDE SERVICES
FOR ERIC WERE HINDERED BECAUSE
THE FAMILY WAS OFTEN UNREACHABLE
BY PHONE.
WE ALSO SHOW THE VIDEO TO ONE OF
THE LEADING ATTORNEYS IN THE
COUNTRY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
LAW.
HIS FIRM HAS HANDLED HUNDREDS OF
SPECIAL EDUCATION CASES.
HE IS A SMALL KID.
WITH
LITTLE KIDS, THOSE ARMS
COME OUT OF THOSE SOCKETS PRETTY
QUICKLY.
CHRIS: LAW SAYS TEACHERS CAN PUT
THEIR HAND ON A CHILD ONLY WHEN
SAFETY IS INVOLVED.
THE SCHOOL SAYS IT OFFERS ONLINE
TRAINING AND BEHAVIORAL
INTERVENTION.
WE WANTED TO KNOW IF HALL AND
WILLIAMS HAD COMPLETED IT.
THEY WOULD NOT TELL US, SAYING
IT IS PART OF THEIR PERSONNEL
RECORD.
ERIC'S MOTHER SAYS THE SECLUSION
HAS ALREADY LEFT HIM WITH
PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE.
HE IS
AFRAID OF BEING IN A
ROOM BY HIMSELF.
ALL THE DOORS HAVE TO BE OPEN,
AND HE WOULD GET REALLY UPSET IF
YOU GO IN THE BATHROOM AND CLOSE
THE DOOR.
CHRIS: HE SAYS WHEN OTHER
STUDENTS WITNESS THIS VIDEO,
THEY GET TRAUMATIZED, TOO.
HELL WE WENT TO A MAGISTRATE
LATE LAST MONTH AND FILE A
CITIZEN'S COMPLAINT FOR
MISDEMEANOR ASSAULT AGAINST HALL
AND WILLIAMS.
THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND SPECIAL
ED TEACHER HAVE A COURT DATE
NEXT WEEK.
THE COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY OFFICE
TOLD HOLLOWAY'S MORNING IT WOULD
NOT PURSUE CHARGES ON HER BEHALF
BUT INFORMED HER SHE CAN STILL
PURSUE THOSE CHARGES ON HER OWN.
THE HUMAN RESOURCE INVESTIGATION
FOUND NEITHER HALL NOR WILLIAMS
WAS TRYING TO HURT ERIC.