Mother frustrated after she says MSCS staff member hit her son
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – A mom says a Memphis-Shelby County School (MSCS) assistant was reassigned after he allegedly hit her son.
She advocated for her son to have this extra help in the classroom, but now feels like it was the worst decision.
Isaiah is a 7th grader at Colonial Middle School. His mom, Tiffany Henderson, said she noticed her son’s behavior change a few weeks into this school year. She said she asked him what was wrong, and his answer left her shocked.
“It hurts, I feel like I failed as a parent in trusting him in their care,” said Henderson.
For years, Henderson says she advocated for her son Isaiah to have a one-on-one assistant after he was diagnosed with autism.
She says he was paired with an assistant this school year at Colonial Middle School, but soon, she noticed some changes.
“He told me some things were going on in class,” Henderson said, adding that she asked Isaiah to explain, and he said he was tired of being hit by his teacher.
Henderson says this all happened at the beginning of the school year in August.
“He said, first, he [the assistant] would hit him with a folder, then he said he would thump him with his finger,” said Henderson. “Then he said he would smack him on the side of his head or on the back of his face.”
“Why put your hands on me at all? That’s wrong,” said Isaiah.
Isaiah says these alleged incidents made him feel left out and forgotten.
“Do I need to fix something?” he asked.
“There is nothing wrong with you, Isaiah.” his mother replied.
“But if there is nothing I need to fix, then why is any of this happening?” he asked.
Henderson filed a complaint with MSCS and the Tennessee Department of Education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Court documents show that MSCS denied the allegations of Isaiah’s one-on-one assistant assaulting him.
The complaint was denied by the state due to lack of evidence and sent back down to the district to handle. The district says the case was resolved.
MSCS Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins shared this statement:
“The safety and well-being of our students are our highest priority, and we take all allegations of staff misconduct seriously. When allegations arise, they are immediately reported to school administration, Human Resources, and Legal and an investigation is promptly initiated. The staff member may be placed on administrative leave during the investigation, and confirmed misconduct could result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination. For students with Individualized Education Plans (lEPs), we adhere to federal guidelines under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to ensure disciplinary measures consider the student’s disability. We remain committed to addressing concerns swiftly and thoroughly to uphold the trust of our families and communities.”
Henderson says the assistant was reassigned and Isaiah was given a new assistant, which was a staff member from the office.
“I feel like they played in my face and aside from that, nothing has been done,” she said. “Absolutely nothing has been done.”
Henderson recently appealed the decision made by the state. She said she still believes in her son and will continue to stand up for him.
“As it relates to [Memphis]-Shelby County Schools, I want them to take accountability for what they have done,” she said.
Action News 5 also obtained a copy of an incident report from the day the alleged assault was reported on August 16, 2024.
The report shows that the one-on-one assistant told the school resource officer he “tapped Isaiah on the shoulder with a folder.”
The report notes that Henderson told the SRO these alleged incidents took place on August 6 and August 7. She told the SRO she was notified of this by Isaiah and a few of his classmates.
This incident was referred to the Department of Children Services, according to the report.
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