A special education teacher in New Britain, Connecticut, has pleaded not guilty to charges of abusing her students. Michelle Campbell, 36, is accused of allegedly strapping children to chairs and yelling in their ears, forcing them to sit alone in dark closets, and even putting water up their mouths and nostrils to stop them from breathing.
The teacher was responsible for about 10 children with Autism, from Kindergarten through second grade. Parents say that they learned about the alleged abuse from a paraprofessional working in the classroom.
Earlier this year, a Kindergarten student with a form of Autism was "voted out" of his Kindergarten class after his teacher permitted classmates to tell him what they didn't like about him. Alex Barton, 5, was traumatized by the incident, said his mother, and screamed when brought near his school.
Similarly, one of the children allegedly abused by Campbell is suffering lasting effects, said Alertba Marin, whose son was in Campbell's class. Marin says the boy does not want to sleep alone in bed or sleep with the light off following the incidents.
