By Mindy Ragan Wood
Staff Writer
Parents of a child diagnosed with autism allege in a lawsuit that the Piedmont school district failed in its duties to protect their son from physical and mental abuse.
Russell and Carol Nation filed the lawsuit Oct. 15 in Canadian County District Court. They accuse the district of not taking action to protect their son, J.N., who has profound disabilities that stem from autism.
The student’s special education teacher Holly Morris was charged with two misdemeanor counts of causing a child to be deprived last March. She will be in court Wednesday and enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.
The lawsuit accuses Morris of hitting J.N. in the face, genitals, which allegedly resulted in bruises to the face and neck, and making a derogatory remark about his genitalia. It references a video obtained from the Piedmont Police Department that allegedly shows Morris dragging a special needs student down a hallway.
Board members are accused of “negligently” hiring Morris, not providing proper training and failing to act in a timely manner when the accusations were reported.
The lawsuit alleges the board was “repeatedly warned” of the physical and mental abuse J.N. allegedly suffered.
Included in the documents is the accusation that the board did not ensure policies were developed to protect students after being made aware “once its employees had reason to believe that Morris posed a risk to students.”
The Nations, who are being represented by Donald Herring, are asking for more than $200,000 in damages, attorney fees and court costs.
Piedmont Board of Education member Gregg Duffy said he could not comment on an ongoing lawsuit, but did say that he and fellow board members received a copy of the lawsuit last Friday from Superintendent James White and that White had referred the matter to the school district’s attorney, Laura Holmes.
Holmes declined to comment and advised the Piedmont-Surrey Gazette reach White for comment. He did not return a call for comment. Neither Herring nor Morris’ attorney, Joe White, returned a telephone call for comment.
