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Parent tells board alleged bullying, profanity and forced cafeteria work at Marshall School; superintendent pledges investigation
Summary
A Marshall School parent told the San Bernardino City Unified board that her autistic son was humiliated, assigned lengthy cafeteria chores and subjected to profanity by a staff member; the superintendent and a board member said they will investigate and follow up with the family.
A parent from Marshall School told the San Bernardino City Unified School District Board of Education that her autistic son has been subjected to repeated bullying, profanity and what she called inappropriate punitive labor during the school day, and that repeated reports to administrators and the district have not resolved the situation.
"He was mocked, humiliated in front of others," the parent said, describing instances in which a staff member allegedly removed the child’s hoodie, stretched his hair and used the "F-word" toward him. The parent said the child was later assigned to wash cafeteria trays and perform physically demanding tasks for hours, and that the child required emergency care after complaining his hands were burned.
The board called for follow-up. A board member (floor questioner) said the district does not force students to work in the cafeteria and that volunteer status is required, adding, "If a parent says they don't want their kid to volunteer in a cafeteria, then they don't." The official asked district staff to investigate the parent's reports.
Interim district leadership responded at the meeting that staff would look into the matter. Superintendent Arellano (speaking later in the meeting) and district staff were reported in the transcript as committing to review the reports and follow up with the family; the parent said she also filed reports with the district and police.
The parent asked the board for clarity on where to escalate the complaint and requested a follow-up meeting about district plans to make schools safer for students with disabilities. Board members and staff said a staff member will contact the parent to follow up and that the district will investigate and remedy any confirmed problems.
The board did not take formal action on the complaint at the meeting; closed-session discipline items later reported to the board addressed expulsions and readmissions in separate matters. The district's next step, as stated during public comment, is a staff follow-up and an investigation to determine whether policies and supports for the student were properly applied.
