A Kansas school employee has been accused of locking a boy with Down Syndrome in a cage and subjecting him to vile abuse, according to a lawsuit.
The individual, named as Albert Bahret, was assigned to the 15-year-old victim as a paraprofessional to help with his special needs, but instead allegedly put him through a demeaning and humiliating ordeal.
Per a lawsuit filed by the child's parents Heather and Jeff Bahner, the teaching assistant also screamed in the teen's face, pulled him by the shirt collar, struck him, and locked him in a utility closet multiple times.
The lawsuit also singles out the Kaw Valley school district and other special education staff, who allegedly failed to step in when they discovered the abuse.
It is also claimed that when the issue of the student's treatment was raised, officials described his ordeal merely as 'how you have to handle him.'
Continue readingOther staff allegedly discovered the ordeal when Bahret took a photo of the student in the cage and sent it around while comparing him to an animal.
In the Bahner's lawsuit, they allege that their disabled son, named only as CB, was subjected to such severe abuse that his federal civil rights for people with disabilities were violated.
No criminal charges have been brought against Behret or anyone else named in the lawsuit.
CB reportedly began attending St. Mary's Junior and High School in 2022, at which time Behret was assigned to help handle his special education needs.
But the abuse allegedly began soon after, including Behret allegedly locking CB in a closet 'not designed or intended to be used to place students for any reason', per the Kansas City Star.
Behret is also accused of striking the child in the face and pulling him by the shirt collar so hard it strangled CB, per the lawsuit.
The teaching assistant would also allegedly disappear with CB for 'great lengths of time to unknown locations and for unknown reasons', and would leave CB in soiled clothes, the lawsuit claimed.
Because CB's disabilities mean he is partially non-verbal, he reportedly could only describe the alleged abuse by using the words 'hit', 'Bert' and 'closet.'
Teacher's appalling excuse after 'locking Down syndrome boy in cage'
A Kansas special needs staffer, Albert Bahret, is accused of subjecting a student with Downs Syndrome to a barrage of abuse, including taking a picture of him locked in a closet and sharing it.
