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Parent tells board her neurodivergent son was suspended, urges reassessment of discipline
Summary
Parent Christina Saburo told the New Canaan Board of Education that her neurodivergent son was suspended for four days, sent home without supervision, and labeled a threat despite professional evaluations finding no danger; she called for the district to avoid decisions driven by bias rather than evidence.
At the Jan. 20 New Canaan Board of Education meeting, Christina Saburo said her neurodivergent son was suspended for four days and sent home on a bus without supervision, and that a risk assessment—she said the family never received—found no danger.
"We were never provided with a copy," Saburo said, describing a pattern in which school staff concluded the incident reflected "mental health concerns" rather than autism-related communication differences. She said clinician reports and other provider input showed "no severe mental illness and no threat," and that the district's PPT (planning and placement team) told the family the child's communication or behavior were not related to ADHD or autism.
Saburo said the suspension remained in place despite what she characterized as contradictory evidence, and she asked the board: "Are we educating our children based on who they are or on fear and outdated narratives? Are we following protocols when we punish them, especially considering that he's disabled?" She urged the district to trust her son's self-advocacy, to fade humiliating one-to-one supervision, and to protect his dignity and access to the least-restrictive environment.
Board policy prevented engagement during the comment period, and no substantive response from board members or administrators is recorded in the transcript. Saburo returned in a later public-comment slot and reiterated that her son has repeatedly asked to be better understood and that he wants to move forward without being defined by fear.
Why it matters
The remarks raise questions about the district's handling of discipline for students with disabilities, access to assessment documentation, and whether family communications and professional evaluations are being incorporated into disciplinary decisions. The parent asked the board to clarify protocols and said she had met with the superintendent but did not receive promised follow-up.
What to watch for
Requests for the district's risk-assessment documentation, any follow-up from the superintendent or special-education staff, and potential agenda items or policy reviews on discipline and PPT procedures.
