A teacher’s aide at Martha Reid Elementary School in Arlington, Texas has been let go after posting a picture of a 7-year-old, special needs student on Snapchat with the caption “She devil.” The photo was brought to the school’s attention after the mother of the girl was forwarded a screenshot of it. In the photo, the young girl is seen sitting at a desk, while the words “She devil” are sprawled across the middle of the image.
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A special-needs student is called "She devil" on Snapchat by the very person tasked to help her. How the school is reacting on @CBSDFW @ 5 pic.twitter.com/1cQ5AVIR3k
— Jeff Paul (@Jeff_Paul) February 7, 2017
“It’s very disturbing to have your daughter’s photos be exploited on social media without your consent,” the girl’s mother, who asked to remain anonymous, told CBSDFW. “It’s more hurtful to me than my daughter, because she doesn’t understand.”
The mother also wondered how many other times an instance like this has occurred.
“If she did it to me, how many other students has she done it to?” she asked. “To title her that and exploit it to media it was wrong. I want to help other parents to know that this is going on in the schools.”
According to the mother, the young girl was upset that her computer time had been taken away at the time the photo was taken. The student reportedly has Williams Syndrome, a “genetic condition that is present at birth […] characterized by medical problems, including cardiovascular disease, developmental delays, and learning disabilities.” As a result, the 7-year-old girl’s learning level is at that of a 3-year-old.
In response, the school released a statement about the incident in which they said, “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.”