Parents: Paraprofessional attacked P723X student

The parents of a child with special needs say a one-on-one aide at his school physically attacked him.

News 12 Staff

Feb 18, 2019, 6:29 PM

Updated 2,054 days ago

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Parents: Paraprofessional attacked P723X student
The parents of a child with special needs say a one-on-one aide at his school physically attacked him.
Natasha and Artlin Hawthorne say their 12-year-old son, who has autism and attends P723X in Eastchester, told them the paraprofessional hit him in the head with a metal water bottle when he would not leave his art class. The aide is identified as "Mr. Troy."
Hawthorne's parents tell News 12 that they were removed from the building when they showed up at the school to confront officials. The parents say this is not the first time they have suspected Mr. Troy attacked their son.
"He got scratched, then he came with a busted lip, and then he came with a black eye," says his father, Artlin Hawthorne. "I called the school and I let them know that I don't think Mr. Troy is that type of person, and he didn't come across that way but when my son came home with a black eye, that's when I said, 'you know what, where there's smoke there's fire.'"
A spokesperson for the New York City Department of Education said in a statement, "The safety and well-being of students is our top priority and this incident is under investigation. This employee will no longer supervise this student."
The Hawthornes, who have filed a police report, say school officials told them their son fell.