From the Cleveland Plain-Dealer: Police Chief Mark Spaetzel says he and his department are outraged by a report that some Bay High students dumped urine and feces on a special-needs student, telling him it was part of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
"To me, it's reprehensible ... that these kids would take advantage of a vulnerable teenager," said Spaetzel, who called a video of the incident one of the most disturbing things he's seen during his law enforcement career.
The chief said the family of the victim, who has autism, reported the incident to Bay police on Wednesday. The family reported that the bucket dumped on the teen contained urine, feces and spit. Spaetzel said police are reviewing a copy of the video, which the attackers recorded on the 14-year-old's phone and then posted to social media.
He said police aren't sure yet when or where the incident occurred. Officers also are trying to determine how many teens were involved. He said they are all believed to be Bay High students.
Spaetzel said his department is committed to making a thorough investigation and moving as quickly as possible to bring charges against anyone found to be involved.
The Bay Village school district also is prepared to discipline any student who was part of the incident, which took place off-campus and outside the school day. Superintendent Clint Keener said in a statement that school officials will take appropriate disciplinary action once police complete their investigation. In the message posted Thursday morning on the district's website, Keener said, "Our entire Bay Village Schools community is heartsick over the cruel actions taken against one of our special needs students.... The student and family targeted by this act have our utmost sympathy, and we will work to let this student know that we care very much about his well being."
http://www.cleveland.com/bay-village/index.ssf/2014/09/bay_village_police_chief_calls_1.html#incart_river
Drew Carey has offered at $10,000 for the arrest of these cowards.
The only comfort I have is that whoever did this is sweating like a pig, knowing they are going to be captured soon and then being publically humiliated.
However, something bothers me.
If the child is so vulnerable that he doesn't know when or where the attack took place, then where were the parents of the victim?
I work with Autistic kids as a special education teacher and other positions and worked with Autistic individuals for 30 years and I am making these observations:
If the kid didn't know where he was, didn't know what time the attack took place and didn't know who he was with, then he is severely autistic and not capable of taking care of himself independently and he shouldn't be roaming the streets without proper supervision of the kid's family or friends.
Obviously, the family didn't know where he was or who he was with and that put the kid in serious danger, not only this time but other times as well.
This rises to the point of where Child Protective Services should be called to investigate.
Further, how did the family not know when the attack took place? The kid was soaked with urine and poo. Wouldn't that cause a huge stink, even if he was washed off? Even if he completely washed up afterward and there was no smell, the family should have noticed the kid looked different from the time he left to the time he came back.
Finally, how did the kid know what an ALS Bucket Challenge is? If he didn't know where he was, who he was with or when the attack occured, how is he going to understand the complexities of the ALS Bucket Challenge?
Could the attack be a hoax? I don't know but it sure is a possibility.
Stranger things have happened.
Update:
Another question:
If the child is unable to communicate when or where the attack took place, how was he able to communicate that the students involved were from Bay Village High school?
The Las Vegas Badger is about politics, humor, sports, reality shows in Las Vegas, especially Pawn Stars and anything else interesting. While I live in Las Vegas, my heart is still in Wisconsin. Thanks for visiting the blog and feel free to browse the web site.
I came here from the PD, I've had the same questions---why was he able to be drawn away by others with no supervision? why didn't anyone notice him covered in that stench? could he really clean himself up properly---I mean could ANY of us? (personally I'd want to use bleach!!) Is that perhaps why he was told to strip to his underwear? Something is NOT right with this at all. You seem to be the only one, thus far, to bring the questions to light. I think a lot of us have been thinking the same questions though. With your work insight, you definitely KNOW responses/actions/proper supervision, etc--though of course every child is different; but this young man isn't able to tell them who did this.
ReplyDeleteI wish CPS would get involved with this to ensure that he DOES have proper supervision. It makes me feel ill to think his parents might be behind this, but I sort of thought that from the beginning---and I hate thinking that and hope that is not true. Things don't add up though. Whoever did this, as there is that video, needs to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
The logic you apply to your "concerns" is fucking absurd. I came across this "blog" via a link posted by one of those Bay Village elitist using this blog as a rallying cry to justify their actions as a community. I don't live in Bay Village, I have never even been to Ohio, but I know entitled little animals when I see them and I know their actions speak volumes about their despicable parents. It takes something special to do what occurred here, and I have no doubt these kids knew exactly what they were doing. They enjoyed it and the only remorse they will ever truly feel is over being caught. But too each their own; the suggestion the autistic child’s parents were at fault is easy to make when none of the facts are available. See if the entitled miscreants were held accountable for their actions and in the process able to share the circumstances of the situation, we would know where to point the finger. But that has not happened has it? But I digress, who am I to argue with someone with years of experience with special needs children who advocates from the intervention of CPS based on phantom concerns.
ReplyDeleteAlso man as a friend and someone with eyes, loose the dotted background behind your text. It is distracting and your text/font is not bold enough to be read on anything but a solid background.
ReplyDeleteAnd let’s think about this for a moment; as an autistic kid in high school I can only imagine this child longed to be accepted by his peers. Maybe he can’t tell authorities the circumstances surrounding what occurred because he fears alienating his “friends” further. You’re right Miss Tia, something is not right with all this, so let’s ask the animals who dumped human waste on an autistic kid and see if they can clarify things like…where they were…who they were with…why it was done…you know, stuff like that. Maybe the autistic victim is not the best source for exacting information about the circumstances of his abuse at the hands of his peers. Maybe we should expect answers instead from the abusers. I know I know, a novel idea.
ReplyDeleteTo Miss Tia, thanks for the comments. I wish I am wrong about the parents or family but too many questions.
ReplyDeleteTo anon. I read everything you wrote and you didn't say a darn thing. You didn't answer any questions and you just assume that rich kids did this and you assumed this because of your prejudices.
But I do doubt the kid is hiding anything. I also think the family maybe hiding something. The family should have known when this attack occurred, at least, the day and close to the hour it happened.
If I am wrong, then I will admit it.
If I am right, will you admit that you are wrong?
Oh, I am sorry, anon, that you don't like the appearance of this "blog"
ReplyDeleteI want my look to be unique and I haven't seen any other blogs looking like this.
So, it may be unique, even if it is a bit ugly.