Parents sue Cabarrus County Schools over alleged abuse of disabled student

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A lawsuit filed this week accuses the Cabarrus County Board of Education and several school officials of negligence, abuse, and disability discrimination following alleged incidents involving a special-needs student.

The lawsuit was filed by Queen Miller and Rodney Rothoff on behalf of their child, referred to as C.M. It alleges that the child, who has autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, and other medical conditions, was physically assaulted and emotionally harmed by a teacher at Jay M. Robinson High School in Concord.

The lawsuit names the school board (CCB) and several school employees as defendants. According to court documents, C.M. had an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that banned the use of physical restraint, instead directing staff to allow the student time to calm himself if his behavior escalated. The lawsuit claims that despite these instructions, C.M.’s new teacher allegedly used inappropriate force on several occasions.

Just weeks into the 2024-25 school year, the lawsuit states that C.M. began coming home with scratches and bruises. His mother, Miller, said she raised concerns with Caldwell and higher-level staff, but received little to no action. The family also alleges that the teacher ignored C.M.’s IEP and told them in a Zoom meeting that he planned to teach “his way.”

One of the more serious incidents reportedly occurred in October 2024. According to the lawsuit, C.M. came home visibly shaken and with bruises and marks on his body. C.M. reportedly told his mother that the teacher had grabbed him by the neck while trying to stop him from leaving class. The teacher allegedly told the school it was necessary to stop C.M. from leaving, but the lawsuit says that the use of force was excessive and not allowed under school policy or state law.

The parents claim C.M. was later diagnosed with PTSD and continues counseling following the alleged incidents. The teacher’s employment was terminated after the October incident, and the parents filed a police report, according to court documents.

Beyond the alleged abuse, the lawsuit also accuses the school district of negligent hiring, lack of proper training, ignoring parent complaints, and failure to schedule IEP meetings.

According to the lawsuit, other parents had previously expressed concerns about the special education program at Jay M. Robinson, including poor communication and inadequate staff training. As of this report, no response has been issued by Cabarrus County Schools.

Table of Contents

Toggle

MORE FROM QCNEWS.COM

Cabarrus County

Cabarrus Co. coach leads Special Olympics team to silver

Sponsored

Parents accuse teacher of abusing special-needs student

Former teacher sues CCS, alleges racial discrimination