Mother Says School Staffer Pulled Autistic Child's Tooth; And Not the Loose One
Framingham School Superintendent Steven Hiersche told Framingham Patch they are investigating the incident at Wilson Elementary School.
A Framingham mom says a staffer at Wilson Elementary School pulled her son's tooth, and not the one that was loose.
Last Tuesday, a fourth grader at Wilson Elementary went to his special needs class, with a wiggly tooth.
After lunch, the 4th grade teacher sent the mom an e-mail, saying the boy's loose tooth was very distracting; and it was pulled.
Mom Sabrina Grant told WBZ-TV when her son, 10, got home from school she "noticed that the loose tooth that was in his mouth was still in his mouth. And a molar behind his loose tooth [is what] they had pulled out. ... They pulled the wrong tooth!”
Grant told WBZ-TV she spoke to Principal Robin Welch, who apologized but she said she wants to pursue criminal charges of assault and child abuse, once she figures out exactly what adults were in the room at the time.
Framingham School Superintendent Steven Hiersche told Framingham Patch Tuesday night they are investigating and he will have a report before he leaves. Hiersche is leaving at the end of this school year.
Mom told WCVB-TV said she has kept her son home from school for a week and demanded that he be put into a different program, to which the school has complied.
In This article
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Woodrow Wilson Elementary School
169 Leland St, Framingham, MA -
Framingham Public Schools Administration: Superintendent of Schools
31 Flagg Dr, Framingham, MA -
Joe Rizoli
8:47 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Apparently the child didn't know what tooth it was either.
The mother sends her kid to school with a loose tooth maybe she should be charged with child abuse.
The thing that concerns me here is wouldn't the school first call the mother for permission to do anything In the first place?
When did the schools become dental clinics?
Joe Rizoli
tami joia
2:12 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Are you serious. Hello, a school staff person cannot pull a kids tooth, period. It is a public school. Am I the only one that sees this as a problem, REALLY. Her actions violated child protection laws of abuse and neglect, not to mention practicing medicine without a license. furthermore, who is she to make a decision on someone else's kid. The thing that concerns me is that she did it and had no qualms about doing it. She didn't think it was a problem. Would she think it would be a problem if the Walmart Greeter pulled her tooth out. She should have been doing her job never mind trying to be a doctor. She's an idiot.
Karl Rookey
9:29 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
I see no way that a teacher could have pulled a tooth that was not loose. Was she in there with vice grips and a crow bar? I watched a dentist pull my childs tooth for medical reasons, and it was not easy for the dentist. I would need to know a lot more than this article states to make judgement, but I am highly suspicious of the account.
tami joia
2:16 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
So, the letter that was written by the staff person to the parent admitting that she pulled the kids tooth out that was also shown on the 6:00 news last night is all make believe. I'm an advocate for children with special needs and I could tell you stories that would make your skin crawl. Some of the people in public schools think they can do whatever they want. Did you hear about the Gym teacher in the Rochester school district, he molested numerous young girls and served 8 years in prison, I guess that was suspicious too, right?
Louise Cummings
9:37 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Practicing without a medical license. Big time law suit.
tami joia
2:17 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Yup! And if I was that kids mother, part of the settlement would be for me to be allowed to pull her tooth in the same manner that she pulled my kids tooth out. Let's see how she likes it
Elsa Aviza
9:51 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
I don't tend to agree with Joe Rizoli on much, however he has a good point when he asks why a parent is not notified before an aide decides to pull a tooth. Was she wearing sterile gloves like my dentist wears when working on my teeth? The parents have every right to be upset and it is unfair to turn on them.
tami joia
2:21 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Asking the Parent for permission to pull a kids tooth by a school staffer would be illegal on so many levels even if she did it. What she should have done is informed the parent that the child was having an issue and perhaps she should bring the kid to her dentist. Asking permission to pull the tooth out by an unlicensed doctor, are you kidding me. Would you let your neighbor pull your tooth out or anybody other than a licensed physician? Is this an issue because this is a kid or a kid with Autism? What I don't get it, why is this so absurd to only me. She can't do it, its assault and battery, its abuse of a child, even if the parent gave her permission, its against the law to practice medicine without a license.
tami joia
10:36 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The kid doesn't have to know what tooth it is. The staffer had no business with her hand in the kids mouth in the first place. She is an aide, not a dentist. See that's the problem in the public schools, nobody is doing their job they are doing everybody else's. That staffer should be thrown in jail and anyone else that had knowledge of what was going on with that kid at the time the tooth was pulled. The kid is autistic and nobody knows to what degree he suffers from the disability, which has a very broad spectrum. What if he cannot speak, what if he is cognitively delayed, what if? So that means that she had the right to pull the kids tooth out. It sounds like it was bothering her more that it was bothering the kid. Hello, she is not a dentist!!!!! Assault and battery, I would go for way more than that.
klobo
11:53 am on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
I think that if you don't work at the school, if you don't know the student or the teachers involved you shouldn't voice your opinion at all. There is no way a healthy tooth could have been pulled out without medical and surgical assistance for 1. So people should use some common sense before they start throwing the accused teacher in jail. And if you aren't a public school teacher - you really need to get a clue before you start talking about the jobs that are and are not being done. Yes, the parents have a right to be upset that it wasn't done by a dentist or the school nurse... but really? Jail? Assault? Know all the facts before you jump on someone's bandwagon.
tami joia
2:26 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
I' m an advocate for children with special needs, so yes I believe what was said. Did you hear about an issue in Brockton Public Schools, they had to pay out $180,000.00 because of the stuff they did to a 6 year old kid, or the Rochester Gym teacher that served 8 year in prison for abusing girls, I can go on and on. Just because it was a teacher in a public school doesn't mean it didn't happen, if the kids tooth is missing and the teacher wrote the note and the school is not denying it, then I think it happened. Believe me, the first thing they all do is deny that any wrong doing ever happened. The proof is in the pudding, we will all see. Maybe the parent made it all up, hired an attorney and is looking to bring formal charges because she has nothing else to do, yeah that's it.
Jim Rizoli
12:13 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The mom doesn't see to be too understanding.
Seems more concerned with a lawsuit that will really put a smile on her face.
What happened was an innocent misunderstanding, the kid is still alive, less one tooth, lets see if it can be worked out without all the fuss.
By the way I just had a wisdom tooth pulled took 15 minutes wirth some good pulling and prodding.
Jim@ccfiile.com
tami joia
2:32 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Oh Good, so what was the mother suppose to do go down there and beat up the teacher? She did the right thing and do you have kids? So this is all good with people? I'm glad I stand for something. I can't believe this is all good with some people just a minor misunderstanding, unbelievable. We don't know where this kid is cognitively or if he can even verbally communicate, did you know that some kids on the spectrum have high tolerance for pain, I guess then it would be ok.
tami joia
2:34 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Another thing, why does a dentist have to be licensed? Why are there dentist in the first place if pulling out a tooth is so easy and pain free? Futhermore, pull out your own tooth then why bother going to a dentist. Save your self some money and drop your dental insurance then,
Jim Rizoli
2:56 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
tami....On the TV the kid was shown in front of the computer.....seems to be ok to me.
Jim@ccfiiile.com
Brenda Crawshaw
8:15 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
James, the child is autistic and in many instances using a computer is the only way autistics can effectively communicate. Even for you that comment was pretty underhanded............
Jim Rizoli
8:42 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Brenda....Long time no see.....by the way I'm autistic that's why I can "effectively" communicate with you here.
Oh no! The cats out of the bag!
Jim@ccfiile.com
Brenda Crawshaw
8:49 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
James, I could offer several possible diagnoses that might suit you but autism is not one of them. You are far too verbose and not nearly intelligent enough to be considered autistic.
Jim Rizoli
10:24 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Brenda.....I might not be as "intelligent" (whatever that means) as some ....but one thing is for sure I'm not stupid, as I have a good idea of what is right and wrong with the World.
Jim@ccfiile.com
Susin Carlson
10:50 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
The only time I brought my kid to the dentist to have a tooth removed was when it WASN'T loose. And it took novacaine and dental instruments to remove it. I took care of their loose teeth, I would never pay to have a dentist do it. So since none of us felt the tooth...we can't really be sure how loose it was. That said...it would have been a much better idea to call the Mom and just tell her to come get her kid as he was too distracted to have an effective school day (according to the reports). That way she could do what parents have been doing for years and yank it herself or blow a bunch of money on having a dentist do it. I suspect there will be more details to follow on this story but to be sooooo hateful towards this teacher and demand jail time seems a bit much. I don't doubt that there are horror stories regarding treatment of students (and teachers BY some students!) but this does not appear to be in line with them. I'm sad for this little boy being held out of school when routine is so important to these kids. But it's also on the school to make sure they feel comfortable, so hopefully some real communication will happen and a reasonable solution found.
Jim G
11:27 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
If it was not an adult tooth that was removed, canines and molars are both being shed at age ten and it is not unusual to have more than one tooth ready to shed.
How about not overreacting with assault charges and other ridiculous responses, use this as a "teaching" moment for those that need it and character building event that could help equip a young man for a challenging life ahead. This important lesson could be taught only IF it is handled with compassion and understanding where it is deserved rather than some of the hysteria posted so far.
lymari
12:37 am on Friday, May 25, 2012
I am a mother of an autistic child and my child ear was pulled at school by a teachers aide because he was figiting with an apple during lunch. Autistic children do not like having their faces touched. I went into his school the next day and had a serious talk with the teachers aide and the principal. I have to brush my sons teeth a certain way because he does not like his face to be touched. The teacher in this case should've known better and teeth removal is not in her job description.
Bluntntruthful
4:41 am on Friday, May 17, 2013
If the mom knows the tooth was loose why didn't she damn pull it. Sounds like to me she wanted her retarded child to get choked on the tooth.Dumb ass mom
Bluntntruthful
4:45 am on Friday, May 17, 2013
If the mom knew it was loose then why didn't she pull it.Is she Artistic also.