LEXINGTON, KY — A nurse and teacher are receiving backlash after they were caught on camera dragging an 11-year-old boy with autism through the halls of a Kentucky middle school.
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Jo Grayson said her son Thatcher is non-verbal and the incident has left him traumatized.
In the video, Thatcher can be seen sitting on the floor inside Tates Creek Middle School.
Moments later, the boy appeared to scream out as the nurse and teacher dragged him across the floor and eventually up a set of stairs.
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“He's clearly screaming, he doesn't want them to do this," said Grayson.
Thatcher’s service dog stood helpless nearby.
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Grayson said the teacher reached out to her about the incident, but she said she wasn't prepared for the bruises she saw on her son that day.
“He'll remember this for the rest of his life, autism or no autism, any kid would remember that,” said Grayson.
The school said the incident started after the boy refused to stand up in class; however, she said school officials failed to mention her son had been dragged.
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School officials released a statement saying, "There is absolutely no tolerance for the conduct of the employee in this incident."
The teacher involved is no longer an employee and it’s unclear if the nurse in the video faces any punishment.
School and state officials are investigating.
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