Teacher’s Aide Fired For Allegedly Calling Disabled Girl ‘She Devil’ On Snapchat
A mother was outraged after learning a teacher’s aide at Martha Reid Elementary School in Arlington, Texas allegedly posted a picture of her disabled seven-year-old daughter on Snapchat with a caption that read “She Devil.”
Dallas News reports that the shocking Snapchat photo led to the teacher’s aide’s – whose name has not been released – termination.
The child’s mother – who asked to remain anonymous to protect her daughter – ascertained the photo on Tuesday when a close friend sent her a screenshot of the Snapchat photo.
In the photograph, the girl – who suffers from Williams syndrome, which is a “genetic condition that makes her learning level akin to that of a three-year-old” – can be seen sitting at a table, looking into the camera but appears to be disgruntled about something.
It was later uncovered that the girl was upset when the photo was captured because she was unable to partake in computer time.
It was not immediately made clear when the teacher’s aide posted the child’s photo on Snapchat.
“It’s very disturbing to have your daughter’s photos be exploited on social media without your consent,” said the mother. “It’s more hurtful to me than my daughter because she doesn’t understand.”
Afterward, she reported the incident to the school and the teacher’s aide was fired. The girl’s mother stated that she did not want the aide to lose her job but what was done to her daughter was highly inappropriate and unacceptable.
The mother would have never known that her daughter’s picture with the caption “She Devil” was circulating the internet if her friend would have never have brought it to her attention.
Showing concerns for other students at Martha Reid Elementary School, wondering if the teacher’s aide targeted them as well.
“If she did it to me, how many other students has she done it to?” The chid’s mother asked.
Social media users were also outraged after learning a Texas teacher’s aide called a disabled child a “She Devil.” Some were questioning authorities for withholding the teacher’s aide identity, saying she should be “outed.”
One Facebook user stated: “That’s just rude. I worked with special needs kids at school in a club called Circle of Friends, and you should never insult them and you should never insult someone online. And that’s just wrong. Special needs students need a lot more love and time and patience to understand, but once you understand them they can make your whole day a ton better.”
Another person stated: “It’s bad enough that children with special needs get bullied by students, but for an adult to do this to a child is unacceptable.”
Texas teacher’s aide fired after calling mentally disabled girl a ‘she devil’ on Snapchat | https://t.co/feRq5g1ZYS pic.twitter.com/X4STCAm9Ut
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) February 8, 2017
One user even mentioned that teachers or teacher’s aides should not be on social media unless it entails homework, tests, etc.
After the incident, Mansfield ISD was asked to comment on the Snapchat incident in an interview with a local TV station, but they declined to answer any questions or make a statement. Instead, a spokesperson for Mansfield ISD released the following statement: “Mansfield ISD takes these types of situations very seriously and does not tolerate unacceptable behavior.”
“After an investigation into the matter, the teacher in question no longer works for the district. MISD is committed to creating a safe learning environment for all of its students and does not condone any type of action that would violate that right.”
The child’s mother went public with her story because she stated that she wanted other parents to be aware of what is transpiring in the school.
She is hoping the teacher’s aide has learned from her actions, even though it was at her daughter’s expense.
[Featured Image by Doug Bennett/iStock]
