According to a law suit filed by Amber and Michael Tilley, their son was forced to strip and shower because he “smelled badly, was dirty and had bad hygiene.” They said their 8-year-old son was taken to the nurse’s office at his elementary school and forced to remove his clothes. The two school employees who are named in the law suit “began violently washing his body with a washcloth, scrubbing him over a large portion of his body, stuck cotton balls in his ears, all while ridiculing and harassing him about being ‘dirty,'” the complaint claims.
The Tilleys said they lodged a police report in November, when the incident occurred, but no charges were filed. They filed the lawsuit against Peaster Independent School District and Peaster Elementary School employees Julie West and Debbie Van Rite in federal court.
“It’s terrible, and we don’t want anything like that to happen to any other children,” Amber Tilley told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth. They said their son was visibly and severely distraught and had to see a therapist after the event. His mother said that the child wanted to take baths and said he felt disgusting. She said he never had a problem with body odor or dirtiness.
The Tilleys seek actual and punitive damages and an injunction for invasion of privacy, illegal search and seizure, retaliation, battery, false imprisonment, child neglect, assault, negligent hiring/supervision and intentional and negligent infliction of severe mental distress.
This seems like only part of the story. It would be interesting to hear the school employee’s side to see if there is more. However, the idea of someone doing that to a child is just wrong. If he really did smell dirty and was that smelly, why didn’t they call the parents? What’s going on with school employees these days? Does it seem like we’re hearing more stories about teachers and staff taking things a little too far?
