Middle School Paraprofessional Resigns Amid Abuse Allegations

A Family's Struggle with Broken Arrow School District

Steven and Kassidie Head have shared their heart-wrenching experience with the Broken Arrow school district, revealing a deeply troubling situation that has left them disillusioned. They moved to the area specifically because of the schools, but now they regret their decision. The family’s trust in the district has been shattered after their 13-year-old son, who has autism, was allegedly assaulted by a paraprofessional at Sequoyah Middle School.

The incident came to light when the family was informed that their son had been physically abused by his teacher. According to Kassidie Hamilton, the teacher reportedly yanked the boy up by his hair, pulled his leg, and yelled in his face. What made the situation even more distressing was the fact that the family learned about the abuse through informal channels rather than from the school officials themselves.

“We were told that his teacher had been physically assaulting him, abusing him, yanking him up by his hair, pulling his leg, yelling in his face,” said Hamilton. She emphasized that the school administration did not act promptly or transparently.

Ron Durbin of Guerrilla Publishing, who began asking questions after being contacted by the family, questioned whether the school administrators were aware of the teacher's behavior. “Did the school administration when they first learned of these potential abuse issues related to kids report the issues to the police department?” he asked.

According to Hamilton, the para who witnessed the incident reported it to administrators, but the family was not informed until a full week and a half later. This lack of communication has further fueled their frustration and sense of betrayal.

The school district responded to News Channel 8, stating, “District officials are aware of this incident and have been in direct communication with the family since the date it occurred. The BAPD is involved in the ongoing investigation and district officials will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.” However, the family claims that the only reason the police are involved is because they filed a report, not due to any action from the school.

“Every adult in that building is a mandated reporter and authorities didn’t have any record of it until we contacted them,” said Hamilton. This highlights a critical failure in the system, where those responsible for protecting children did not fulfill their duty.

In addition to the police report against the paraprofessional, Ron Durbin has also filed a report against the district. “We went to the Broken Arrow Police Department and we filed a report on the administrators for failing to report child abuse. So we want the Broken Arrow Police Department to investigate those school administrators in the school system for failing to protect our kids,” said Durbin.

As a result of the traumatic experience, Steven and Kassidie have taken their son out of the school and are homeschooling him for the time being. The impact on their son is evident, as he now shows fear whenever they pass by the school. “Now when we go to the Walmart or we go somewhere, when we pass that school Sequoyah he’s like, not going there, not going there, like he is literally scared to go back over there. He’s traumatized,” said Head and Hamilton.

The school district has stated that the paraprofessional has resigned, which is seen as a first step in the family's push for accountability. “We want the schools held liable and the administration held liable because this should happen to nobody, yet alone a child with special needs,” said Head.