Special needs student repeatedly beaten at school

     In a lesson that all educators face is what happens on your watch? In the case of an Atlantan school, educators that had the care of 7-year-old Erman Bivines have drawn the ire of his mother and the attention of a local television news station. Bivines has had repeated bruises and cuts on his face during the school year and it appears many of the attacks have happened due to bullying by the child's classmates. While the teachers claim to not have seen the abuse including one incident that happened in gym class, the teachers and principal did not catch what was happening to this student diagnosed with autism. The story and video appear below.
http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/20127868/special-needs-student-repeatedly-beaten-at-schoo

Special needs student repeatedly beaten at school

Posted: Nov 17, 2012 6:34 PM PSTUpdated: Nov 19, 2012 6:18 AM PST

By Sonia Moghe - ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) -

The mother of a special needs student said she wants to know who is watching her son, after he has repeatedly come home covered in cuts and bruises.

Erman Bivines said her 7-year-old son, Briman, has been diagnosed with autism, ADHD and a slew of other disorders. She said his school, Peyton Forest Elementary School, does not have him placed in a separate special needs classroom, but instead with regular students.

That's why, she said, some of the attacks against him started happening. Including one that happened Sept. 21 that left his face covered in bruises.

"I went to school to go pick him up and he had, like, an assortment of dark bruises covering around his face," Erman Bivines said. "I went to the front desk and I was like, 'he's been here all day. No one has seen all these bruises on his face?'"

She said no teacher or administrator from the school ever called her to tell her that her son had been injured.

The most severe attack, she said, happened Oct. 15. She said when she saw his face, she was overcome with "sheer terror."

"It looked like he was completely mauled," Erman Bivines said. "Like somewhat of like an animal had just completely demolished his face."

Briman himself described what happened.

"I had the ball and I throwed [sic] it in the hoop and he catched [sic] it, and I tried to get it back and he started scratching me on the face," Briman said.

His mother has since pulled him out of Peyton Forest Elementary School.

Stephen Alford, a spokesman for Atlanta Public Schools released a statement on behalf of the district.

"A spokesman for Atlanta Public Schools said accommodating the needs of all students, whether special needs or not, is a fundamental expectation for all schools, and that the matter is being looked into," Alford said.

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/20127868/special-needs-student-repeatedly-beaten-at-school