Briana Winkle Says Her Nonverbal Son Cried at the Sight of the School Bus. Then the District Showed Her Video of His Teacher.
Kennedale ISD says the employees involved in a special education classroom at Patterson Elementary are no longer working for the district, and that it is cooperating with police and Child Protective Services. Briana Winkle, whose 7-year-old son is autistic and nonverbal, says the district showed her video of her son’s teacher that she describes as showing him being mistreated. She told CBS News Texas on Nov. 12 that her son, Maddox, cried when he saw the school bus, and that she now believes he was afraid to go to school.
No criminal charges have been filed. Everything below about what the video shows comes from Winkle’s own description, and the CBS report does not include a district description of the footage.
What Kennedale ISD Has Said So Far
According to the CBS report, the district’s statement says it carried out an internal investigation into concerns at Patterson Elementary and notified parents of the relevant and impacted students. It says it took immediate action and put measures in place on classroom oversight, staff support and student safety.
The district also said federal and state laws bar it from discussing confidential personnel matters and student information, which limits what it can share. Arlington police have confirmed they are investigating, CBS reported, and Child Protective Services is involved too. The report does not explain why Arlington police are handling a Kennedale ISD case.
A Phone Call From the Principal
Winkle said the school principal called her to report that there was video of Maddox being physically assaulted by his teacher in his special education classroom. She told CBS News Texas she was baffled, shocked and speechless.
She described one moment in the footage this way: “There was a point that the pair came up and she had kicked him while he was laying on the ground.” Winkle said the footage shows her son being repeatedly mistreated. The report does not name the teacher or a paraprofessional who worked in the room.
The delay is a sore point. Winkle said the district showed her the footage more than two months after the incident. She said the school told the family it could not give any information at the time.
Two Resignations Effective Sept. 11
The investigation traces back to a separate complaint. CBS reported that on Aug. 21, a mother named Monica Davis said her daughter, who also has autism, came home with bruises on her arm, and that Davis reported the injuries to the district and to police. The report does not say whether Davis’s daughter was in the same classroom as Maddox.
That complaint led to an investigation involving law enforcement and CPS, and Winkle said investigators later turned up footage involving her son and contacted her. In September, parents got emails saying a special education teacher and a paraprofessional had resigned, effective Sept. 11. Winkle said the district gave no reason at first, and that she learned the reason about a month later.
Maddox is now in therapy and has not been to school for several days, according to Winkle. Winkle called the situation heartbreaking and said no child should be scared to go to school.
No criminal charges have been filed, and the CBS report does not say whether the footage has been released. For now, the facts on the record are limited: a mother’s account of what she saw, two resignations effective Sept. 11, a district statement, and open police and CPS investigations. The family is waiting to learn what comes next.
Why a Child Who Cannot Speak May Not Be Able to Tell a Parent
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, part of the National Institutes of Health, says that some children with autism cannot communicate with speech or language, and that others have very limited speaking skills. Many also have trouble with nonverbal communication such as pointing, eye contact and facial expressions, and the institute notes that this can lead to frustration and behavior that is hard to read.
For children who may never develop speech, the institute describes picture boards, symbol systems, sign language and electronic devices that speak when a button is pressed. For a child without a reliable way to explain what happened, a parent may have only changes in behavior to go on.
In Winkle’s account, the first sign was not a sentence but a reaction: Maddox cried at the sight of the bus, which she now believes may have meant he was afraid to go to school. Parent Diaries has also reported on a 6-year-old with Down syndrome and autism who came home upset from the bus, according to his mother.
What Texas Law Lets Parents Ask For, and Where to Report
Texas has a law on cameras in special education classrooms, Education Code Section 29.022, which lets a parent, staff member or school board request them in writing. Disability Rights Texas, a legal advocacy group, explains in a handout that a parent can ask in writing for a camera in a self-contained classroom or other special education setting. The district must answer within seven school business days, and an approved camera must be running within 45 school business days unless the Texas Education Agency grants an extension.
The handout says recordings are confidential and cannot be viewed unless they relate to an alleged incident or investigation. A parent who suspects abuse or neglect can file a written incident report and then ask in writing to view the recording. Districts must keep recordings for at least three months, and longer if an incident is documented. The CBS report does not say whether the footage in Maddox’s case came from a camera installed under that law.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services takes reports of suspected child abuse by phone at 1-800-252-5400, any hour, or online at TxAbuseHotline.org, and says anyone who believes a child is in immediate danger should call 911. DFPS cannot accept anonymous abuse reports, though it keeps reporters’ names confidential by law.
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Image: Ktkvtsh – CC BY-SA 4.0/Wikimedia Commons
