INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis child and their mother have filed a lawsuit against IPS, staff members, after they were allegedly attacked by other students.
The attacks were allegedly recorded and encouraged by a teacher at George Washington Carver Montessori IPS School 87 – which is located at 2411 Indianapolis Ave.
That teacher, who WRTV will not name as they face no criminal charges, is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Also listed as defendants are IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson, the school’s principal and vice principal, and a substitute teacher.
As stated in the complaint, the second grade student has “sensory sensitivities, an executive function disorder and probable learning disabilities.”
The student was subject to “fight club-type disciple” in the teacher's class over a span of approximately three months, according to the complaint.
On at least one occasion, the teacher recorded the fighting – which he accidentally showed to parents during a conference in November, according to the complaint.
The complaint also alleges the teacher held the boy down on multiple occasions and allowed other students to hit and kick him.
In naming IPS and administrators in the complaint, the student’s mother claims she reported the abuse to staff members on multiple occasions.
The student, according to the complaint, is now being homeschooled.
IPS released the following statement regarding the lawsuit:
IPS does not tolerate the type of behavior alleged in the complaint and takes reports of potential abuse and neglect seriously. When IPS learned of the teacher’s conduct, the Department of Child Services (DCS) was immediately notified, and the teacher was removed from the classroom and suspended. The teacher had no further contact with students and is no longer employed by IPS.Because this matter is the subject of pending litigation, it is inappropriate to comment further on our investigation of this matter.
- IPS was not aware of any fights encouraged or sanctioned by this or any other teacher from the student’s parents or otherwise, until the parent emailed the principal at 6:58 p.m. Oct. 30.
- The principal first viewed this email early morning the next day (Oct 31), and immediately contacted DCS and IPS Human Resources.
- The teacher was immediately removed from the building and never returned to the classroom.
- The teacher was interviewed by Human Resources on November 2 as part of its investigation into the matter. The employee resigned during that meeting before IPS could initiate termination proceedings, which the district was prepared to do based on the information received from the internal investigation.
