Parents Claim Special Ed Student Abused

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Parents Claim Special Ed Student Abused

Teachers Aide Remained In Classroom Despite Past Assault Case

By Reported By Dennis Ferrier

WSMV-TV

updated 12:16 p.m. CT, Thurs., Feb. 26, 2009

DICKSON, Tenn. - Noah Mullins is highly functioing autistic, meaning

he can do just about anything, but some things are a lot harder for

him.

" He just doesn't know how to express himself. He doesn't know how to

socialize, and that's where his problems lie, " said Mullins,

Noah's dad.

But far from getting help, the Mullins believe that Noah's county-

appointed special education aide, Elise Dansby, was making things

more difficult for Noah.

" For an 8-year-old to make a remark that 'I want to be in Jesus,'

there's been some things done, " said.

At this time, did what came naturally to the 16-year veteran

police officer: investigate. He stitched a voice-activated recorder

into Noah's hooded sweatshirt and sent him off to school.

" What we found out was shocking, " said Jody Mullins. " I cried all

weekend after I heard it. "

What the Mullins got was an 8-hour audio snapshot of Elise Dansby.

There was one moment during snack time when Noah was counting his

money, and Dansby yelled at him, " Put the money up. "

" You can hear him say, 'That's too loud,' " said Jody.

Minutes later, she takes the money away. Noah tries to get it back.

" That sounded like she was about to hit him, to be honest, " said

.

decided it was time to look deeper into Dansby's record. He

found that Dansby had pleaded no contest to assaulting a student in

Dickson County five years ago.

Kelsey Mayberry suffers from severe autism. Her assault had an

eyewitness: her mother, Jacqui Mayberry.

" When I got to the doorway, I saw Elise slap her, " Jacqui said. " I

was in shock. I could not believe it. I could not believe it. And she

turned around and she saw me staring there. She threw her arms down

and said, 'I'm so stressed.' "

Dansby was suspended without pay for two days. She was given court-

ordered anger management training. Her jail time was suspended.

The question is how a teacher's aide with an assault record remained

an employee of the Dickson County school system.

" I'd have to look at that case on an individual basis, " said Director

of Schools ny Chandler.

Chandler said he can't comment on the Dansby situation that it is

still under investigation.

" That becomes a tough decision, " he said. " We look at the number of

times they've been in trouble, the severity of their trouble. "

But for the Mayberrys and Mullins, this isn't a tough decision.

" She should have been fired five years ago, but they allowed her to

stay, " Jacqui said.

" Just because you're the aide or you're in charge of this child

doesn't give you the right to be cruel or mean or antagonize him or

break his spirit, " said .

Dansby declined to comment.

In her criminal file was an incident report, interrogation, medical

report, arrest, conviction and mug shot, but now it's all gone.

Dansby has obtained an expungement, so she no longer has a criminal

record and no longer has an official history of trouble with students.

Scheduled to be discussed at the Dickson school board Thursday night

is whether or not to ban recording devices from all Dickson County

schools.