Eleven families are now suing the Santa Ana Unified School District and a teacher accused of verbally abusing and mocking several special needs students. Hetty Chang reports for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Nov. 22, 2024.
A teacher and school district at the center of a disturbing video that surfaced in May is being sued by eleven families in a civil lawsuit filed Thursday at the Orange County Superior Court.
The teacher named in the complaint can be seen verbally abusing and mocking several special needs students in her second grade classroom at Carver Elementary School in Santa Ana.
The complaint alleges Santa Ana Unified School District and teacher Maylin Hsu are responsible for leaving students “neglected, verbally abused, humiliated, psychologically traumatized, intimidated, assaulted and threatened verbally.”
Hsu, the special education teacher, is seen yelling at a student while banging a pair of scissors against a desk.
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Another video, which was also provided by the attorney representing the families, showed the teacher mocking a non-verbal student and inches from his face, yelling at him to be quiet.
“My first thought was, she’s going to be bullied by kids,” said Alma Moreno of her daughter who is severely autistic. “Never did I think that she would bullied by her teacher and her staff.”
The families say the disturbing videos, which were believed to be recorded possibly by accident on a student’s IPad, are only a snapshot of the abuse, bullying and mocking of their special needs children who are all non-verbal and autistic. Parents said the abuse in Hsu’s classroom left their children traumatized.
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“Now he’s doing a lot of hitting his head and screaming,” explained Jennifer Zuniga of her son’s behavior.
“This school district put her in a classroom where the children could not speak them for themselves,” said Elan Zektser, the attorney representing the families.
The lawsuit also named Amergis Healthcare Staffing, which the complaint states is the company which staffed the teacher’s aides seen laughing at the alleged abuse in one of the videos.
In a statement to NBCLA, Santa Ana Unified School District wrote:
The Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) is aware of a lawsuit filed and discussed during today’s press conference. We acknowledge the seriousness of the allegations made regarding the behavior of one of our employees which are deeply concerning and contrary to the standards we uphold as a District.
The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priorities, and we are committed to addressing this matter with transparency and accountability. While the matter is now the subject of active litigation, limiting what we can share, we want to assure our community that we are thoroughly reviewing the incident and are continuing to take appropriate steps to ensure accountability and student safety.
"We understand the profound impact this situation has on students, families, and the broader community, and we are dedicated to ensuring that every student is provided with a secure, inclusive, and nurturing educational experience. SAUSD does not tolerate any actions that compromise student safety and is working diligently to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and care. We remain committed to collaborating with our community to address concerns, support affected families, and reinforce trust in our schools."
NBCLA has reach Hsu for a comment.
