I Had To Find Out My Son Was Being Abused From Facebook

My Name Is Kasey Murphy and I am from Berkeley County, West Virginia. My son Owen is seven years old. When he was 8 months old, he was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease and last summer, diagnosed with autism.

As a parent you always hope for a healthy child, but like many parents, I have been blessed with a very special child who has special needs. All parents celebrate milestones and for me, it was when Owen’s doctors told me he would no longer need to use his feeding tube after his first year in school.

He has worked so hard to reach his goals. He strengthened his hips by walking until he no longer needed his leg braces. As a parent, you can imagine my optimism for Owen’s progress this year. From August to October though, I noticed some small setbacks in Owen’s progress.

On October 31st, 2018, I was made aware of an October 4th recording released by a parent of a child who attended a school in our county. All I could think was- please tell me this didn’t happen to Owen. On November 1st, 2018, the parent confirmed my worst nightmare, this was Owen’s class at Berkeley Height Elementary.

I listened to the recording, horrified, and I don’t think any words can describe the roller coaster of emotions I felt that day and every day since. Three teachers that I trusted with my son’s care had abused him in ways that can only be described as inhumane. Clips shared on the news do not begin to recount the abuse my son endured.

He was restrained in equipment all day long. I can hear him being hit, food was withheld, and the teachers calling him a woman beater after he tried to fend off their attacks. For eight hours, my son and other children were abused, humiliated, and tortured.

The school, police and School Board never contacted me, even though they were aware of this recording. For 28 days, my son was left in that class being abused along with the others by these 3 staff members. It took 28 days for it to be released on Social .

I had to find out my son was being abused from FACEBOOK.

I had an IEP meeting October 18th, 2018 with the IEP board and NO ONE mentioned to me that they were investigating this class for abuse.

Owen has had to be put back on his feeding tube for weight loss, he may need his leg braces put back on, he is terrified to use the bathroom and is no longer potty trained. I have had to resign from my position at Berkeley Medical Center because the teacher that tortured my son was employed on the same floor.

What happened to these children in this class room is inexcusable and it never should have happened.

Thank you, Kasey.