Northern California mom says son with nonverbal autism allegedly assaulted by teacher

FAIRFIELD — A mother in Solano County is demanding answers after learning that her 6-year-old son with nonverbal autism was allegedly slapped by his teacher.

It was Halloween morning when Fairfield mom Selenia Charles learned about the incident after a parent-teacher who witnessed it reported the incident to the school. Her son’s nonverbal condition made it even more distressing as he couldn’t communicate what had happened.

Charles said hearing that her child was abused was her “absolute worst fear realized.” She took swift action, pulling her son from Anna Kyle Elementary School and filing complaints with the district, the mayor’s office, and the police. However, the details of the incident remain unclear.

A statement from the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District reads:

“A very concerning allegation has been reported and is now under investigation. We take all reports seriously and a thorough investigation into the matter is now being conducted. As it is an internal personnel issue, the details of the investigation are confidential and can not be shared at this time.”

Sylvester Wethington, the boy’s father, said he’s noticed a significant change in his son’s behavior since the incident.

“It’s so important that this not happen to nonverbal kids because they can’t speak on it and they have no voice for themselves,” Wethington said.

Whether or not the teacher has been fired remains uncertain, and Charles fears there could be other victims.

“They’re not able to speak for themselves, so I’m going to be that voice for my son and whoever else needs it,” she said.

While Charles waits for answers from the school, she’s looking into other schools as she said her son will not return to Anna Kyle Elementary.