Rare Find
Mrs. Davis started to notice a drastic change in behavior from her son. She didn't understand why he was different these days and didn't know what to do. She spoke to his school to see if they knew anything, but they didn't even acknowledge her concerns.
She knew she would have to solve this problem on her own, but nothing could have prepared her for what she was going to stumble upon.
Loving Mother
Milissa Davis lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and takes care of two children. She's passionate about her job working with therapy horses. But what keeps her busy the most is her special needs son, Camden.
As most mothers are, Milissa is very protective of her children. So when Camden started acting not quite like himself, she had to step in and figure out what was wrong.
Good Reputation
Camden enrolled at Greater Baton Rouge Hope Academy. The school had a good reputation for being involved with their students, giving them positive reinforcement for good behavior and accomplishments.
Milissa knew that this was just what her son needed to boost his academic success. Soon enough she would realize how wrong she actually was.
Worried About Camden's Changes
Camden's behavior began to drastically change after being at the school for a couple of months. He began to become aggressive, felt more anxious, and started wetting the bed -- which he hadn't done since the age of three.
Distressed, Milissa asked her son what could cause such drastic changes. He couldn't tell her, which made her even more concerned about the matter.
The School Must Have Answers
Milissa marched to Camden's school -- surely they knew something about his behavior? It was no coincidence that it was after going to school that he changed like this. She hoped that the school would have the answers she was looking for.
She spoke to the principal and faculty and asked where Camden sat in his classroom, among other things. The school wouldn't give her any answers that would satisfy her. She knew she'd have to take charge and figure this out on her own.
Desperate Times...
Milissa decided to do something drastic. She took a recording device and snuck it into Camden's bag. She wanted to see if anything was going on during his school day that was out of the ordinary.
She understood this was taking things very far, but how else could she help her son and get to the bottom of this? Once her son got home from school she was eager to play back the device from his backpack.
No Idea What She'd Find
She rewound the recording device she took from his backpack to the beginning of the day and played it back. She'd have to sift through hours of recording with a chance that there was nothing out of the ordinary on it.
It sounded like Camden's day was going just like any regular child's. Then she stumbled on voices saying things that she couldn't begin to believe.
Being Bullied By His Teacher
Camden was being reprimanded for not doing his assignment. This is a regular occurrence at a normal school, but Camden was special needs and being scolded severely affects his self-esteem.
It went further and Milissa could hear his teacher begin to mock the way Camden was trying to speak. She was disgusted by the teacher, and things were going to get even worse.
Unacceptable For A Teacher
Camden's backpack was in the classroom when the teacher and her assistant were speaking privately. There were clearly no children around, going by the way they were speaking.
Milissa could hear them speaking ill of Camden, even using inappropriate language when speaking about him. Milissa was so surprised that a teacher, of all people, would speak about their students like this.
Shocked By The Conversation
“I just wanted to cry, scream and do everything I could because it was so bad,” Milissa recalled. “To think that I had sent my son there every day, and what had happened before that I don’t know about.”
Milissa knew she had enough evidence to get justice. She went to the school officials with her concerns but was ignored once again. She was not going to let them off so easily this time.
Last Resort
Milissa immediately pulled Camden out of Hope Academy. But she didn’t want to leave the issue there, thinking of all the other special needs children being exposed to such unprofessional teachers.
So she did what she knew would get the school’s attention: she posted the audio on her Facebook page. Her plan worked.
The School Takes Action
The post went viral, forcing the school to take action. Principal Linda Stone released a statement, saying one of the teachers had been fired and the other would be let go once the semester ended.
She also asked the Davis family to come to meet with her and other school officials to discuss the issue. But by then, Milissa had other ideas in mind.
Taking The Legal Route
Milissa hired the services of attorney Charlotte McGehee and planned to file a complaint with the Department of Education. “No child should have to have this happen to them,” she told Bored Panda. “I brought this to light because I wanted my son to be the last kid that this happened to at this school.”
The pressure forced the school to fire the second teacher immediately. Meanwhile, people online shared their opinions on the incident, revealing a disturbing trend.
Support From The Web
Many people who saw Milissa’s Facebook post praised her for her smart actions and for advocating on behalf of special needs children. Others shared their own stories of child abuse at the hands of educators.
Milissa was touched by the sentiments of support from all over the world and even opened a P.O. box so people could send letters and gifts to Camden. In the meantime, she’s tried to get his education back on track.
Getting Back To Normal
Milissa transferred Camden to a different school, making sure that the teachers were qualified and professional. Camden’s new teacher minored in psychology and has a degree in special education and Applied Behavior Analysis.
Even so, the effects of his former teachers’ bullying have not completely subsided. Hopefully, with time and lots of support, Camden can go back to being the sweet, loving kid he was before.