Autistic Students Must Testify In Abuse Case Against Teacher

[Nihilanthic]

http://www.wftv.com/news/10792492/detail.html

SANFORD, Fla. -- Five severely autistic teenagers must testify against a teacher charged with abusing them, a judge has ruled.

FORMAL CHARGES: Court Document (PDF file)
REPORT: Garrett Arrest Report (PDF file)
LETTER: Teachers' Union Responds (PDF file)

Circuit Judge Clayton Simmons made the ruling at a pretrial hearing Thursday in the case against Kathleen Garrett. Trial is expected to begin next week against the 26-year veteran of Seminole County public schools charged with physically abusing the students, who ranged in age from 12 to 15.

Garrett was arrested in November 2004 on charges that she abused autistic students in her class at South Seminole Middle School in Casselberry, even chipping one boy's teeth by slamming his face into a desk.

Other allegations include beating children, humiliating them, pushing one's face into vomit and disciplining some behind closed bathroom doors, where screaming and sounds of furniture banging around could be heard.

Defense attorney Thomas Egan argued that it is vital for jurors to see the kind of students Garrett supervised.

"One of these kids actually eats his feces," Egan said. "I think the world will see volumes when they see these children."

Assistant State Attorney Donna Goerner said the courtroom setting might traumatize the students and whatever they say cannot be trusted because they are not mentally competent.

The judge said the charges against Garrett are serious and she is entitled to a full defense. If the students wander off or walk out of the courtroom, the judge said, he would not require deputies to retrieve them.

Garrett, 50, rejected a plea deal this week that would have placed her on five years' probation and required her to surrender her teaching certificate.

If convicted, she faces a possible sentence of 75 years in prison.

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WTF man?

[Anonymous]

I'm thinkin'... backfire.

[Anonymous]

If others can corroborate even SOME of the abuse, it might even be WORSE for her if they aren't "mentally competent."

[hanzomon4]

Hell yeah, Autistic kid's ain't dumb and they have excellent memory. They're going to eat this lady alive  8-)

[try another castle]

This strikes a serious raw nerve with me. People think that they can get away with this shit because their narrow understanding of special needs children makes them think that they are incapable of complaining or testifying.

Many autistic children have difficulty with communication skills. Some don't even know how to talk. I have a feeling this hideous person was counting on that.

This is seriously one of those people who I think should be locked up for life. No parole.

I don't know who I hate worse, that hideous, evil woman, or her scumbag defense attorney who somehow thinks it is perfectly okay to abuse children simply because of the fact that they are special needs, and may do something like eat their own feces.

[Nihilanthic]

I got a soft spot for aspies too. I was a misdiagnosed one... mostly becuase of a fucked up childhood making it hard for me to be interpersonal for a while.

Well, as you can see, thats not such a problem now. But I can understand them... and have at least some idea what it is like to go through life as they did.