An educator at DeSoto High School surrendered to police Friday morning after an incident recorded in a classroom earlier this week appeared to show a student being hit.
Gloria Lowe, a special education aide at the high school is facing felony charges after being accused of striking a non-verbal special needs student who has autism.
The video, which was recorded by another student, allegedly showed Lowe swatting at the 18-year-old student's arms and legs with a power cord.
DeSoto Police told NBC 5 they were notified of the incident and video recording on Monday, Oct. 23. After an investigation, an arrest warrant was issued for Lowe on Wednesday that included a request to voluntarily surrender by 4 p.m. Friday.
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The DeSoto ISD said they were notified of the allegation of abuse on Tuesday, Oct. 24. The district said they "moved quickly to identify and place the individual on administrative leave and initiated its own internal investigation."
Authorities have provided a timeline of events pertaining to the report taken by police and the department reportedly alerting the district. The timeline has come under scrutiny by the parent who filed the police report on Monday, only to have her daughter report the same educator was still in the classroom as of Wednesday morning.
After NBC 5’s exclusive report Wednesday evening, the district’s spokesperson provided additional context as to why the woman was allowed at school Wednesday despite the district admitting it was alerted to the allegations Tuesday evening.
In a statement, DeSoto ISD’s spokesperson said: ‘Because the concern was reported to an external agency, the district initiated its internal investigation upon awareness of the incident. Once identified, the staff member, who is not a teacher, but a teacher's assistant, was immediately placed on administrative leave.’
Williams pulled her son from school after she was contacted and said she was stunned to learn about the allegations because her son “loved” the educator.
She asked NBC 5 not to identify the student who was present for her interview. He walked silently around his home as NBC 5 spoke with his mother.
We learned he loves holding a clothes hanger. He laughs or taps his feet on the floor when he’s anxious. He requires one-on-one help with everyday tasks at home and at school.
He’s 18 years old and stands 6 feet 4 inches tall.
“He intimidates people a lot because of his size but he doesn’t do anything,” said Williams. “He’s my heart. He’s my pride and my joy. He’s a gift from God.”
Williams said she felt blindsided when she received a call from a DeSoto police detective on Wednesday. She said she had no idea anything had happened at his school last Friday.
She was on the phone with the detective when she said the superintendent phoned her for the first time. Williams declined to take her call.
“If you won’t talk to me from Monday to Wednesday at about 1:30, what do we have to talk about,” she asked. “Now you want to do damage control?”
During an interview with NBC 5 on Friday, Williams said she had chosen not to view the entire video clip saying it was upsetting.
NBC 5 asked William to watch the video because special needs advocates acknowledge behavioral management punishers, often agreed to by the parent and educator, can vary from student to student.
After viewing the entire video with her daughter at her side, Williams was left in tears unable to speak.
“Excuse me,” she said through tears momentarily getting from her chair.
“What was he doing? What brought it on,” she asked. “I look at that and I don’t see anything else. Why? Why?”
She said her son, like other special needs children, needs to be re-directed if a problem arises in the classroom.
“You don’t discipline him like that,” she said.
Williams stressed there was no such agreement in place to deal with any potential behavioral problems related to her son.
“No, we don’t have a disciplinary plan,” she said again pointing out that her son has no record of behavioral problems.
Williams said she has been involved in a years-long battle with the district over complaints about the education her children with special needs receive in the district.
In an ongoing ‘level 3’ grievance, Williams claimed the district has repeatedly failed to teach the boy basic sign language that Williams said he desperately needs to thrive.
Williams vowed to seek legal action against the district as she considers whether to pull her son out of the district for good.
“Yes, I am going to raise hell,” she said. “I want to make sure that accountability is going to happen in DeSoto this time. It’s going to put a lot of school districts on blast. I want them to know this is not acceptable.”
She urges other parents of special needs students, many afraid of potential retribution, to not be afraid to come forward to advocate for their children.
“Stand with me,” she pleaded.
Following Lowe’s arrest, the district released a statement saying in part: DeSoto ISD reiterates that it does not tolerate misconduct, particularly such actions that adversely impact student safety and welfare. The district takes all matters related to the individual and collective safety and security of its school community seriously and notes that this inexcusable act does not reflect the care and compassion of the DeSoto ISD educator workforce.
Lowe, who was freed Friday after posting a $15,000 bond, faces a charge of felony injury to a disabled individual. It's not clear if she's obtained an attorney to speak on her behalf.
