A lawsuit claims that a school staffer from Kansas imprisoned a youngster with Down syndrome inside a cage and abused him.
The 15-year-old boy was allegedly subjected to degrading and humiliating encounters by Albert Bahret, who had been assigned to him as a teacher’s aide to assist with his special needs.
The boy’s parents, Jeff and Heather Bahner, said in their lawsuit that the aide repeatedly locked the boy in a utility closet, hit him, yanked his shirt collar, and yelled in his face.
The Kaw Valley school system and other members of the special education staff are also named in the complaint for allegedly doing nothing when they learned about the abuse. The assertion was that the acts were justified because school district administrators saw it as ‘tough love’ and just the way it had to be handled.
According to reports, some staff members learned about the situation because Bahret shared a picture of the child in a cage and made animal comparisons.
In the complaint, the photo was submitted with the boy’s face redacted. He was seen standing in a locked cage with football helmets and a basketball. Bahret allegedly asked other district officials to let the child out of the cage because he did not have a key.
The Bahners say that their son, identified as CB in the case, suffered severe maltreatment that violated his federal civil rights as a disabled person.
Those born with Down syndrome will have intellectual disability to varying degrees. It is the leading cause of developmental disability worldwide, and the amount of delay will vary from person to person. One of the many developmental difficulties experienced by people with Down syndrome is a delayed onset of language skills. Obstructive sleep apnea, hearing loss, and congenital heart issues are also common health concerns.
Behret and the others named in the case are not currently facing any criminal charges.
In 2022, CB reportedly began school at St. Mary’s Junior and High School, where Behret was tasked with supporting the boy’s special education requirements.
The abuse reportedly started shortly after that. According to the allegations, Behret locked CB in a storage space. The complaint further said that the teacher’s aide would take CB out of class, go to unidentified places for unexplained reasons, and leave him in soiled clothing. Due to his disability, the boy could only say “Bert,” “hit,” and “closet” to describe the alleged abuse.
CB’s parents stated in the complaint that their son’s communication difficulties worsened after the trauma. It caused him to hurt himself, rip hair from his head, and develop a terrible phobia of dark places. Instead of verbalizing, the boy now only stands silently and drools.
According to the lawsuit, two additional special education personnel were either present during the event or had a good understanding of what was going on but helped the defendants cover up the conduct.
All three are reportedly still employed by the Kaw Valley school system.
District superintendent Kerry Lacock confirmed the district is aware of the complaint but couldn’t provide a response due to confidentiality regulations. However, Lacock urged employees and their families to report any suspicions of improper behavior.
