Parents, staff raise safety and special-education incident concerns at APS public forum

At the Feb. 5 Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education public forum, several parents and a former substitute raised concerns about on-campus violence, special-education incidents, and how the district and APS police responded. Speakers described specific incidents and urged policy changes to protect students and staff.

Vincenzo Griego said his child, a first-grader at O'nate Elementary, was attacked Feb. 3 and that school administrators told parents the district's conduct handbook limited disciplinary options for K-3 students. "When asked why nothing has been done to keep the students and staff in a safe learning environment, I was told that they have to follow the code of conduct," Griego told the board, and he urged policy changes to ensure appropriate school placements and consequences.

Nina Griego, mother of a 7-year-old who was attacked, described her son as "not feeling safe" when he was required to sit in a classroom with a child she said has a history of violent outbursts. She asked the board to change policies so aggressors are punished appropriately. Both parents referenced the APS handbook language limiting suspensions for pre-K through third grade as a barrier to removing aggressive students.

A separate public speaker, a former substitute who identified himself as Daniel Tafoya, alleged multiple special-education incidents at a school: he said on Sept. 4 he reported a principal dragging a student out of school, that a paraprofessional fell asleep with a medication bottle visible, and that a teacher pulled a chair out from under a student. "I am tired of reporting cases happening in specialized classes and APS doing nothing about it," Tafoya said, alleging failures of investigation and whistleblower retaliation by APS police.

The speakers asked for clearer procedures, quicker investigations, and policy changes to ensure student safety. The board did not take immediate action during the Feb. 5 meeting but acknowledged the concerns and discussed procedural issues in later agenda items. The transcript shows no formal motion or vote on these specific safety complaints during the meeting; parents were told how to file grievances and contact Child Youth and Family Department bureaus in appropriate cases.

These public comments join other safety and discipline discussions often raised in public forum, and they raised questions about whether current handbook limits and implementation practices provide adequate protections for young students or staff in classrooms with repeated aggressive behavior.