Former teacher at Anaheim school accused of physically abusing special needs students

ANAHEIM, Calif. (KABC) -- An investigation into alleged physical abuse of special needs students at Imperial Elementary School has parents heartbroken and demanding answers.

Juliette Herrera and Amanda Allen said their 7-year-olds were among the four children Anaheim police said were possible victims.

"My daughter's been terrified and begging not to go to school every day," Herrera said.

"If my child was injured, I should've been notified so I could've taken him to urgent care, but nobody notified me of any type of injury at all and I am angry," Allen said.

Police said teacher aides accused one teacher of inflicting physical and verbal abuse on students who are diagnosed with behavioral disorders.

Parents said the students in the class were first and second graders.

As of Wednesday, no arrest had been made.

Police said witnesses reported this has been going on for at least a year.

Allen said investigators told her that her son was often targeted by the suspect.

"They said that my child was running around the classroom and the teacher was trying to get him so physically took a table and pushed it onto his stomach, pinning him against a filing cabinet and I remember my child coming home complaining of a stomachache for a while," Allen said.

Amanda's husband, John Allen said their son usually blamed himself when they asked questions about increasing behavioral issues at school.

"He just says, 'I had a bad day. I'm bad,'" John Allen said.

The notification by school administrators to parents happened this past Thursday, but several suspected something wasn't right.

They said their children have been acting up.

Herrera said the suspect blamed her daughter after an incident this past September, but her daughter had a different story.

"She said, 'Mommy, I didn't throw myself down. She threw me down,' and then she said, 'The teacher's a liar,'" Herrera said.

Herrera said her daughter shared more in recent days.

"She said she didn't want her to get in trouble and then she said, 'I can't tell you all the bad things Mom. I can't tell you all the bad things,' and then little by little, she's been coming out with more," Herrera said.

Orange Unified School District Superintendent Michael Christensen sent Eyewitness News the following statement:

"Orange Unified School District generally does not comment on personnel matters; however, the district is aware of allegations of misconduct by a former staff member. The safety and well-being of our students and staff are always our top priority. As we became aware of potential concerns, we took steps to address them with the individual families. We are also actively cooperating with law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation."

These parents were told the suspect no longer worked there, but they had more questions and demanded transparency from the people they trust with their children's care.

"I demand better schooling options for my son where they can guarantee his safety even if it's putting cameras in his SPED classroom so we can make sure that our children are not getting hurt again," Allen said.

Police say the case will be presented to the district attorney, and the DA's office will decide if charges are filed.