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Teachers and parents tell Escondido board special-education classroom has been "unsafe" for months
Summary
A special education teacher and several parents told the Escondido Union High School board that assaults, biting and understaffing in an Orange Glen classroom have persisted since August 2024; trustees pledged follow-up and requested concrete timelines from staff.
Multiple public speakers addressed the board on Feb. 11, saying safety incidents in an Orange Glen High School special education classroom have persisted for months and that staffing shortages have left students and aides at risk.
Maria Nielsen, a special education teacher who said she now teaches students with extensive support needs at Orange Glen, described repeated safety problems and said her safety concerns were not adequately addressed by supervisors: "When I raised my safety concern with my supervisors, I felt ignored," she told trustees. Nielsen said aides had been reassigned and that her class lost key supports.
Parent speakers pressed the board for action. Dalia Atibe said her child, who has epilepsy and autism, has stayed home for weeks and is afraid to return after an assault at the start of the school year; Crystal Reed said her son and "nine other students have been attacked, bitten, and terrorized by a single student since August 2024," and that school-level interventions had not resolved the problem.
Board President Bob Weller thanked speakers, said their remarks were heard and promised board follow-up. Trustees asked staff to bring back specific timelines and deliverables, including staffing recommendations and interim supports, and directed administration to follow up with families.
The board did not take immediate disciplinary or placement actions during public comment; several trustees said they wanted to see a written plan with measurable steps at a near-term meeting.
