Resident alleges district mistreated autistic student and says he contacted state education officials

At the Griffin-Spalding County Board of Education meeting on Jan. 27, resident William Brisco used the public-comment period to accuse district staff of mistreating his autistic child and to say he has sought help from state education authorities.

"This district has failed these autistic kids to the point where it's ridiculous," Brisco said, adding that he "had to pull one of my kids out because they was being abused." He told the board the child had been "left on the floor strapped down" and that, in his view, district officials did not notify parents or other authorities about the incident.

Brisco said he has not had outreach from the district since the incident: "No, no one done nothing," he said, and told the board he went to the Georgia Department of Education and asked the agency to intervene.

The public-comment rules and the chair’s remarks at the meeting state that board members do not act independently on matters raised and that the presiding officer will refer speakers to the superintendent and district staff for follow-up. The district did not make a public statement or record an immediate response to Brisco’s allegations during the meeting.

Why it matters: Allegations of mistreatment of students with disabilities raise questions about special-education oversight, incident reporting and trustee responsibility to ensure complaints are referred to appropriate staff or authorities. Brisco said he sought state assistance and removed his child from district placement; the board’s public record at the Jan. 27 session contains the allegation but no recorded resolution or staff response.

What the transcript shows and does not show: Brisco gave his name and address on the record and described alleged physical restraint and lack of follow-up; no district official made an on-the-record rebuttal or described any internal inquiry during the public portion of the meeting. The board later entered executive session on personnel and student-discipline matters, but the public record does not tie that executive session to Brisco’s comment.

The board or district communications office did not provide a statement during the meeting; reporters or community members seeking comment should ask the district for the status of any investigation or complaint intake related to the allegations.

The board’s public-comment time limit and procedure were reiterated at the meeting as part of the rules for speakers.