School Fires Five After Autistic Child Bound With Tape

A Barnegat Township School District teacher and four paraprofessionals have been terminated following disturbing allegations that an 8-year-old nonverbal girl with autism was bound with blue painter’s tape on multiple occasions. The incident has sparked outrage among parents and community members who packed a recent Board of Education meeting demanding accountability and systemic changes.

According to the child’s mother, Kasi Spinelli, her daughter’s wrists, ankles, and mouth were covered or tied with tape while attending the district’s Academics, Communication, and Essential Skills (ACES) program for children with autism. The alleged abuse was documented in photographs showing the child in different outfits, suggesting multiple occurrences, according to Patch.

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A Mother’s Nightmare Unfolds

“Our world is completely rocked,” Spinelli said in a video interview with her attorney. “She can’t come home and tell me how her day is. The most I can get out of her is a thumbs up or thumbs down.”

The mother faced additional trauma when, due to her daughter’s inability to communicate what had happened, she had to take the child for medical examination to check for signs of physical and sexual abuse. “That was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she shared.

Spinelli reported being told by school officials that the taping was “a joke and not used for restraint purposes.” She was informed that it was her daughter’s one-to-one paraprofessional who bound the child and photographed the acts.

Swift District Response Amid Community Outrage

School Board President Scott Sarno addressed the packed meeting at Barnegat High School, stating that officials were “angry, disappointed and upset” by the allegations. The district has reported the incident to local law enforcement and the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer confirmed that “the investigation into this incident is currently active and ongoing,” according to Asbury Park Press.

In addition to terminating the five employees directly involved, the district has also removed its director of special services from his role, with Superintendent Brian Latwis assuming those responsibilities. Latwis praised the whistleblower who reported the abuse, stating: “I would like to thank the individual who was not part of that classroom that came forward and brought these allegations to light. That takes bravery, courage and was clearly doing the right thing.”

A Pattern of Problems Emerges

The incident appears to have exposed deeper issues within the district’s special education programs. During the school board meeting, other parents came forward with concerns about the treatment of children with special needs.

Steven Donoghue told the school board that his family had specifically moved to Barnegat after hearing about the ACES program for children with autism. Now, he expressed a complete loss of trust: “I just can’t trust putting my kid in your possession.”

Another parent, Elysia Jankowski, criticized the district’s handling of information, stating that parents were learning details from “each other, from social media, not from the district. And I think that’s a big problem.”

Calls for Systemic Change

Superintendent Latwis acknowledged the need for program improvements, promising to re-examine the ACES program and its resources based on parents’ concerns. “We share everybody’s outrage with this incident,” he said.

The district is also considering changes to the teachers’ contract that currently prohibits security cameras in classrooms. Latwis and Sarno announced plans to meet with representatives of the Barnegat teachers’ union to discuss modifying these provisions.

Meanwhile, Spinelli’s attorney Bradley Flynn has announced intentions to sue the district. “We’re seeking justice on behalf of this family, and that’s going to take the form of monetary relief, but it’s also going to take the form of a true, safe, loving environment for the child where she can be safe from this type of harm and abuse,” he said.

The Barnegat Police Department initially investigated but determined there was “nothing that occurred necessitating criminal charges,” according to Chief Jason Carroll’s statement to News 12. The department referred the matter back to the school district as a personnel issue, though the prosecutor’s office investigation continues.

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