Melissa Barton, mother of Alex Barton, was not notified of a School Board hearing to reinstate Wendy Portillo as a tenured teacher, the Disabled Politico team has learned. Portillo led Kindergarten students in "voting" to exclude Alex from his classroom last May. Alex has Asperger Syndrome, an Autism spectrum disorder.
Ms. Barton tells the Disabled Politico team, "I was never told there would be a hearing regarding Wendy Portillo. I honestly thought once a judge and the superintendent decided that she was wrong, it would be over. My fight is far from over. I thought it was so low that the school board didnt even notify me that I could state Alex's case."
Barton says she would have attended the hearing had she known about it. Instead, the School Board held the hearing without input from the Barton family and decided to reinstate Portillo as a teacher and restore her tenure. 13 supporters of Wendy Portillo [pictured at right] were permitted to speak in her favor at the hearing, including her sons as well as family members of former students.
Melissa Barton only learned about the hearing and its outcome when reporters contacted her for comment after the meeting was over.
Alex Barton still struggles with anger and fear after the events he experienced in May of 2008. The reality TV-like exercise also involved allowing neurotypical students to list things they did not like about Alex, while he was made to stand in the front of the classroom and listen to other children calling him "disgusting" and "annoying," among other insults. While Alex has continued his education with the help of an in-home tutor, he has not been permitted to return to school despite an IEP stating that he would return.
"How far is too far?" asks Ms. Barton, who has filed state and federal lawsuits in connection with the mistreatment of her son. "Will it be enough when the wheelchair bound child is deemed a "distraction" for the teacher? Maybe next they will choose to take the deaf child and abuse him too. What will it be? When will we stand up and say enough, is enough? If Alex were different in any other way-- any at all-- and he were expelled for that, what would the reaction be?"
Of Wendy Portillo in particular, Melissa Barton says simply, "[Alex] paid the price for her ignorance with his innocence."
Filed under: Florida, teachers, special education, alex barton, asperger's syndrome, autism, wendy portillo, children with disabilities, disability abuse, schools, education, melissa barton, interviews
