WTOC

A Statesboro mother says her non-verbal son with autism came home from school with unexplained bruises and scratches, and she has struggled to get answers about how the injuries happened. Chanier Morales is an 18-year-old non-verbal autistic student at Statesboro High School. His mother, Yesenia Leon, acts as his voice and advocate. After filing several complaints with Bulloch County Schools and the Statesboro Police Department, she is making her concerns public. “We should not be, as parents, double-thinking if our kids are safe,” Leon said. Chanier returned from school with noticeable marks, scratches, and bruising. When Leon asked staff about the nature of the injuries, she was met with the same responses — that Chanier had self-injured or that staff did not see the incident occur. With no answers and little documentation, Leon grew alarmed.

Before the school year ended, Leon made the decision to pull Chanier out of school. Now she is pushing for changes to protect students like Chanier. Her requests include increased transparency and the introduction of cameras in special education classes. In Georgia, schools are legally allowed to install cameras in special education classes. However, the decision is left up to the county.