A boy with autism has been left embarrassed after school staff provided him with a quiet learning place by moving his desk to the bathroom.
Mother Danielle Goodwin was thrilled when she was informed that the Whatcom Middle School in Washington found a peaceful place for her 11-year-old son Lucas to stay at.
However, she was shocked to her bones when that quiet place turned out to be the school’s bathroom with Lucas’ desk being placed right above the toilet.
“I was so shocked I just took the picture because I didn’t even believe what I was seeing,” the mum said in an interview with KOMO TV after sharing the photo on social media.
“It’s not an appropriate place for anyone, but especially for Lucas, who, with his PANDAS condition, can’t really be around germs. That’s something that can really affect his body.”
As Danielle added, her little boy was left “sad, stressed, [and] embarrassed” after finding out that his desk was moved inside a restroom on the first day of school.
“It smelled and just the thought of my son working his school day in a bathroom was disturbing to me,” she said.
According to the upset mother, she confronted the staff about the decision to move Lucas to the bathroom but was told that he couldn’t be anywhere else due to a lack of space. They also gave the 11-year-old a camping mat so that he could rest on the bathroom floor when tired.
“I was like, how is this happening? How am I in the bathroom? Why?” Lucas, who was also upset by the fact that they moved him into a bathroom, added.
Responding to the mother’s complaints and public fury, Bellingham Public Schools released the following statement:
“We are all probably aware that state funding for schools is limited, particularly with regards to construction, and thus schools often have limited space to meet students’ instructional and social-emotional needs.
“We are always looking for creative ways to best use our facilities to meet students’ needs.”
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Replaced!