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Volume 10, Number 24 • June 11 to 17, 2015
PVFD files lawsuit against Weddington
Parents plead for cameras in special education classrooms Allegations against UCPS could necessitate cameras in self-contained classes by Courtney Schultz education@unioncountyweekly.com
Parents spoke out at the June 2 Union County Public Schools Board of Education (BOE) meeting regarding placing cameras in self-contained classrooms in hopes of giving their children with disabilities “a voice.” Nora Bass, Kristine Pettler and Amy Oster, all parents of children with disabilities, spoke during the meeting’s public comment session about incidents in self-contained classrooms in which their children were allegedly physically or verbally abused. They urged the board to consider installing cameras in self-contained classrooms in hopes of protecting their children against mishandling, as well as teachers and aids against false accusations. In Union County Public Schools (UCPS), there are 69 self-contained classrooms and classes at Wolfe School. Bass, of Monroe, has urged for cameras in these classrooms since 2011, when her now-12-year-old daughter Hayley came home from school with red marks on her body, particularly around her armpits and back, which Bass suspected were caused by someone grabbing her daughter. Hayley has Down syndrome and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and is nonverbal; she can only say one to two words at a time and could not tell her mother what caused the marks. Bass reported the incident to the school and the Monroe Police Department. Police detectives told Bass they didn’t have enough evidence of abuse and
turned the investigation over to the school. Administrators told Bass they suspected another child caused the marks, and the incident was not investigated further. Bass faced a similar situation again this year when Hayley came home from Monroe Middle School on April 20 and 22 with bruises and scratches on her upper body and arms. Bass called the school and the police immediately after finding the marks. The incident is still under investigation at the school. Bass recorded a video of her daughter naming the person who caused the bruising and scratches, as well as photographed the marks. The mother was told a weighted vest was placed on her daughter, who then backed into a corner next to a file cabinet. Bass said after the incident, Hayley did not want to go to school for months and would say, “No go,” and “Stay home,” each day. A Monroe city detective, who investigated the incident and viewed Bass’s materials, again told Bass there wasn’t enough evidence of abuse. Hayley could not explain what happened to the detective, and the district attorney said there wasn’t enough evidence, as well. Bass is not alone in her suspected incident. Oster’s 7-year-old son Andrew, who is autistic and nonverbal, experienced alleged verbal abuse in a self-contained preschool classroom at Rock Rest Elementary School in 2012. (see UCPS on page 12)
Firestorm between Providence Volunteer Fire Department and town continues by Crystal O’Gorman crystal@unioncountyweekly.com
WEDDINGTON – Providence Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) has taken legal action against Weddington’s decision to terminate its 10-year fire service agreement (FSA) with the town. A civil complaint was filed at Union County Superior Court Division of General Court on June 4, in which PVFD claims fault in Weddington Town Council’s cause for termination and demands recourse in the contractual stipulated amount of $750,000. The filed complaint claims reducing expenses is not a lawful cause to terminate the FSA with the department. “Only a failure by PVFD to meet its material obligations under the FSA – providing satisfactory firefighting and emergency medical services – would constitute a lawful cause for Weddington to terminate the FSA,” the complaint reads. It also denies future speculation of financial loss as “cause” for termination. Weddington Councilmembers Barbara Harrison and Michael Smith voted 2 to 1, with Pamela Hadley dissenting, to approve the termination of PVFD’s FSA and Interlocal Agreement at a special meeting called by Mayor Bill Deter on April 28, after a series of events surrounding (see PVFD on page 3)
INDEX: News Briefs, 6; Crime Blotter, 7; Education, 12; Honor Roll, 13; Arts, 16; Calendar, 18; Sports, 20; Classifieds, 23
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