Statesboro mother advocates for special education changes after son comes home with unexplained injuries

STATESBORO, Ga. (WTOC) - A Statesboro mother says her non-verbal son with autism came home from school with unexplained bruises and scratches, and she has struggled to get answers about how the injuries happened.

Chanier Morales is an 18-year-old non-verbal autistic student at Statesboro High School. His mother, Yesenia Leon, acts as his voice and advocate. After filing several complaints with Bulloch County Schools and the Statesboro Police Department, she is making her concerns public.

“We should not be, as parents, double thinking, if our kids are safe,” Leon said.

Chanier returned from school with noticeable marks, scratches and bruising. When Leon asked staff about the nature of the injuries, she was met with the same responses — that Chanier had self-injured or that staff did not see the incident occur. With no answers and little documentation, Leon grew alarmed.

“In eighteen years my son has never self harmed, I understand that other kids will do, but not mine, and now you need to document that. Where is the report? Show me the proof,” Leon said.

Incident with resource officer

At times, Chanier does what is referred to as eloping, where he will wander or walk away from his paraprofessionals. During these episodes, staff will attempt to de-escalate the situation. Leon’s top priority is that no one touches her son.

After a resource officer attempted to de-escalate behavior during an episode, Chanier came home with marks on his shoulder. Leon asked to review the body camera footage. What she saw shocked her.

“Holding him towards a corner in a wall, restraining him with his hands, and screaming to him ‘quiet, quiet’ to shut him down, and I’m like, who does that?” Leon said.

WTOC has not been able to independently view the video.

Before the school year ended, Leon made the decision to pull Chanier out of school. Now she is pushing for changes to protect students like Chanier.

Calls for cameras and transparency

Her requests include increased transparency and the introduction of cameras in special education classes.

In Georgia, schools are legally allowed to install cameras in special education classes. However, the decision is left up to the county.

“So we cannot use privacy as an excuse to hide whatever is being wrong,” Leon said.

Yesenia is also advocating for a change in language used in Individualized Education Program (IEP) reports. When reviewing her son’s IEP report, Leon found language she described as ‘criminalized’.

Terms such as ‘Battery Level 1′ and ‘Agressive behavior’ appeared in Chanier’s IEP. Yesenia fears attaching this language to her son’s behavior will create problems for him down the line.

Leon is not alone in this fight. Other families say the school system is falling short of their children’s specialized needs.

Maria Alvarez has three children, all with learning and behavior disabilities. She says school-run programs are failing her kids.

“And it’s hard, because I only think if this is them being school aged, what’s going to happen when they become adults,” Alvarez said.

Leon made her first appearance at last week’s Board of Education meeting to bring these concerns directly to leaders.

Bulloch County Board of Education did not provide a statement, citing federal protection laws and advice from attorneys. Statesboro Police has not responded to a request for comment regarding the incident with the resource officer.