McCANDLESS, Pa. — Nicole and Matt Glancy reached out to Channel 11 after a North Allegheny teacher was caught on camera allegedly dragging their six year old daughter across the floor during an adaptive gym class.
“We received a phone call from the principal that our daughter was physically forced to sit on a scooter she did not want to be on,” Nicole said. “Heartbreaking, watching my daughter struggle. I mean any child let alone a child with special needs shouldn’t be forced to do something against their will.”
The Glancys said the incident happened last Monday and was caught on surveillance camera. The teacher can be seen in the video grabbing their daughter’s arm and trying to force her to ride a scooter. Their daughter is nonverbal and can only say a few words. In the video, though, the Glancys said it was clear she didn’t want to ride it.
“She physically sat down and he continued to pull her arm across the floor, dragging her on her bum,” Nicole said. “Then she still showed resistance and he proceeded to grab her by her ankles and pull her closer.”
The parents said they were made aware of what happened when the principal called them on Friday after another adult witnessed the incident and reported it.
“This shouldn’t have happened to begin with so we are very frustrated. It took four days. This happened on a Monday afternoon and we got a call Friday morning,” Nicole said. “That’s not okay.”
Channel 11 reached out to the North Allegheny School District about the video. The acting superintendent sent this statement:
“North Allegheny School District takes all matters involving our students and staff very seriously. The District is currently investigating an incident at Hosack Elementary School where an employee has been placed on administrative leave. While federal privacy laws prevent us from sharing details and confirming specified information, we are working with local law enforcement and will follow District policies to address these matters based on our investigation.”
School officials said they are working with McCandless police on the investigation.
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