Lawsuit claims Henderson teacher assaulted special needs student
Summary
Parents of a nonverbal student with autism and Down syndrome have filed a lawsuit against the Clark County School District alleging their son, identified as G.R., was physically and verbally assaulted by a teacher at Basic Academy of International Studies.
The complaint, filed by Arias Sanguinetti Wang & Team, says the incident occurred on or about 30 October 2023. According to the suit, G.R. scratched teacher Christen Whitney’s arm; two teacher’s aides then witnessed Whitney rush out of his chair, grab G.R. by the arms and shove him to the ground, causing bruising. Hours later, while taking the student to the restroom after he accidentally soiled himself, Whitney allegedly removed and slammed the student’s backpack and screamed obscenities until an aide intervened.
The lawsuit claims the district failed to adequately investigate or discipline Whitney or promptly inform the parents. It also alleges Whitney had a history of using corporal punishment. Whitney separated from the district in February, per the district spokesperson. The family is seeking a jury trial and $75,000 in general damages plus $75,000 in special damages, and says G.R. continues to suffer fear, anxiety and emotional distress that affect his ability to return to school.
Key Points
- Parents have sued the Clark County School District over alleged physical and verbal assaults on their nonverbal special-needs son.
- The complaint alleges teacher Christen Whitney grabbed and shoved the 19-year-old student to the ground after being scratched, causing bruising; two aides witnessed the incident.
- A separate alleged incident that day involved the teacher verbally abusing the student in a restroom and forcefully slamming the student’s backpack, prompting an aide to step in.
- The suit contends the district did not properly investigate, discipline or timely notify the parents; the teacher later separated from the district in February.
- The family seeks a jury trial and $150,000 in combined damages and says the student now suffers ongoing fear, anxiety and loss of enjoyment of life.
- The complaint further alleges a history of corporal punishment by the teacher, which the plaintiffs say the district should have been aware of.
Context and Relevance
This case sits at the intersection of special-education care, staff conduct and district oversight. Allegations of mistreatment of vulnerable pupils raise questions about safeguarding, training for staff working with complex needs, incident reporting and accountability within large public school systems. Locally, it follows other recent lawsuits involving CCSD and special-needs students, signalling scrutiny on how the district protects its most vulnerable learners.
Why should I read this?
Look — this isn’t just another local story. It’s about a vulnerable student, alleged abuse inside a classroom and whether the district did enough afterwards. If you care about school safety, special-education standards or accountability in public services, you’ll want the details. We’ve sliced the long article down to the essentials so you can see what happened and why it matters without wading through the whole thing.