Autistic boy's mother says teacher led classmates to vote him out of class

[DeclinetoState]

By Colleen Wixon | Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers
May 25, 2008

PORT ST. LUCIE - Melissa Barton said her son's kindergarten teacher led his classmates to vote him out of class.

After each classmate was allowed to say what they didn't like about Barton's 5-year-old son, his Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo said they were going to take a vote, Barton said.

By a 14-2 margin, the students voted the boy, who is in the process of being diagnosed with autism, out of the class.

Melissa Barton filed a complaint with Morningside's school resource officer, who investigated the matter, Port St. Lucie Department spokeswoman Michelle Steele said. But the State Attorney's Office concluded the matter did not meet the criteria for emotional child abuse, so no criminal charges will be filed, Steele said.
Link (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/treasurecoast/sfl-flpkindergartner0525pnmay25,0,2574622.story)

If he's really autistic, he should be in special ed, no?

[Wyatt_Junker]

I agree with the mom. They should have just stuck him in the corner of the room all day wearing the pointy hat. Instead, they insulted him with... democracy.

[Riverboat]

If he's really autistic, he should be in special ed, no?Even if he is, he'll still be in class, thanks to platoons of civil rights lawyers and educational experts. He'll have a dozen modifications on a list the teacher has to comply with or face a lawsuit. Never mind that the teacher has at least a dozen other special kids with their own list of modifications. That's on top of the other hundred kids, many who have never learned how to spell respect, let alone how to practice it.

[DeclinetoState]

That's on top of the other hundred kids, many who have never learned how to spell respect, let alone how to practice it.Janet Reno can't spell "respect" (http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/funnyvideos/v/janetrenosings.htm); why should kids, special ed or otherwise, be able to?