CHARLESTON – The mother of a non-verbal autistic boy says a school aide abused her son.
Machaela Angel, as parent of B.F., filed her complaint February 29 in Kanawha Circuit Court against the Kanawha County Board of Education and Vonda Landers, a school aide at Mary C. Snow Elementary School in Charleston.
“When is it going to stop?” attorney Michael Cary told The West Virginia Record. “I’m always going to provide a voice for the voiceless and fight for justice in the courtroom for my client.”
Michael Cary
| Courtesy photo
According to the complaint, B.F. was enrolled in special education class at the school. Landers was an aide in the class. On September 5, 2023, Angel says she received a phone call from the school, the Charleston Police Department and Child Protective Services telling her there had been an incident at school involving her son.
The next day, Angel says she viewed videotaped surveillance of her son being physically and verbally abused by Landers in the classroom.
The abuse, according to the complaint, included Landers hitting the boy over and over with a shield, continuing her assault despite the child’s screams and holding the boy in the corner with the shield pressed against his face and body.
“Landers knew that her abusive behavior was unlawful because as the teacher walks into the classroom, defendant Landers immediately hides the weapon, in the form of a shield, behind the desk as if nothing had occurred,” the complaint states.
Angel accuses the defendants of unlawful disability harassment and discrimination in violation of the West Virginia Human Right Act, negligent hiring, negligent supervision, negligent retention, negligence and civil assault and battery. She also filed a tort of outrage.
She seeks compensatory damages for permanent psychological injuries, pain and suffering, emotional and mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, indignity, embarrassment, humiliation, annoyance, shame, inconvenience and other consequential damages. She also seeks punitive damages, pre- and post-judgment interests, court costs, attorney fees and other relief.
Angel is being represented by Michael Cary of Cary Law Office in Charleston. The case has been assigned to Circuit Judge Tera Salango.
Kanawha Circuit Court case number 24-C-281
