NEWPORT, Ky. — A Northern Kentucky mother is demanding answers after she says her 13-year-old son's longtime special education teacher slapped her nonverbal, autistic child during a school field trip in June.
The mother, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her children, says the incident happened when her son, a former student at Newport Intermediate, was on a field trip to Newport High School to watch a movie.
WATCH: NKY mom says teacher slapped her nonverbal, autistic son during a field trip
"All I know is he supposedly got up out of his seat, touched the back of her head, and she shoved him. He got up and did it again because that's his only way of communicating. So he touches you to just guide you to what he wants or what he needs, and supposedly on the second attempt she smacked him across the face," she said.
The special education teacher, Teresa Moeller, has since been charged with one count of endangering the welfare of an incompetent person. She appeared in court Friday for her arraignment.
"Judge, we are going to enter a plea of not guilty at this time," her attorney said.
Moeller is also accused of lifting the boy's 12-year-old sister, who is also nonverbal and autistic, from her auditorium seat and forcing her onto the floor. She is not being charged in connection with that incident.
The mother says she was not immediately informed about what happened to her son. She picked her children up that same day, and the teacher came out and spoke to her, but she says she was not told the full details of the incident. She did not learn what happened to her daughter until the following day, when a Kentucky Child Protective Services worker arrived at her home.
"On the report, they waited until June 26 to call her; the incident happened on June 25," she said.
The Cabinet for Health and Family Services investigated the incidents. While the agency could not release investigation details, a letter sent to the mother states the agency found the teacher's actions constituted a threat of physical abuse.
The mother shared documentation of the impact on her son, including a letter from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and doctor's notes.
"They had to up his medication, and they only want him going to school for two hours a day," she said.
The mother says her son's behavior has changed significantly since the incident. She says it has become nearly impossible to get him out of the car at school drop-off.
She says he will not leave her side and becomes distressed if she tries to leave the house.
"It's a rough road, and we were just balancing out until the incident happened and it's been a nightmare," she said.
The mother says she trusted the teacher, who had worked with her children for at least five years and was named "Teacher of the Year" in January.
"I put all my trust in her. She helped me a lot with my kids. It just breaks my heart," she said.
She has since moved her children to Holmes Middle School. Her daughter has adjusted, but her son continues to struggle.
Because she is a single mother and her son's condition has made it impossible for her to leave the house, she says she is unable to work. She has started a GoFundMe as she works to find solutions for her children.
The mother says she wants to see better training for teachers who work with nonverbal autistic children.
"They need to get the teachers in more training, better training for the teachers on how to deal with nonverbal autistic children, or children in general, really, because it's happened to nonverbal children as well," she said.
I reached out to Newport Independent Schools and the police department to find out what actions were taken.
A judge set a $2,500 unsecured bond, meaning Moeller does not have to pay the amount as long as she appears in court and complies with the conditions of her release.
Those conditions include no contact with the alleged victim and no contact with minors, a significant restriction, as she is also a club sports coach. Moeller's next court appearance is Oct. 6.
