Mom takes legal action against New Rochelle school district, claims aide violently yanked, yelled at autistic son

A mother is taking legal action against the New Rochelle City School District, claiming an aide violently yanked and yelled at her autistic son.

Emily Young

May 29, 2024, 9:12 PM

Updated 58 days ago

Share:

A mother is taking legal action against the New Rochelle City School District, claiming an aide violently yanked and yelled at her autistic son.
The mother, Leah Griggs Pauly, says she shared her story with News 12 in an effort to prevent this from happening to other kids.
"Nathan's really high functioning, he's super verbal, he's a really bright kid," says Griggs Pauly.
When 8-year-old Nathan Pauly began second grade at the Ward School last year, he was assigned an aide to work one-on-one with him every day.
"We asked specifically whether the aide would be trained, the district said, 'No, they couldn't provide someone with training.' Instead, they would provide someone with experience," explained Griggs Pauly.
In March, Leah Griggs Pauly got a call from the principal to alert her of an investigation regarding her child.
"The classroom teacher reported that Nathan was being pulled by the arm by his aide. She was standing, he was sitting on the floor, and she tried to physically drag him out of the classroom. The aide was yelling at Nathan, screaming in his face," said Griggs Pauly.
Nathan told his mother this wasn't the first time this happened, but she never heard another word about it from the district.
"I never heard anything ever again from the principal of the investigation. They never shared findings," she said.
Nathan was assigned a different aide, and his former aide was moved to a different class. But she was still in charge of the special needs bus, so his mother says Nathan still had to interact with her.
"It didn't make any sense to me that something like this could happen, that it would be serious enough for other teachers to speak out, serious enough for there to be an investigation and that they would just move her to another kid that has needs."
Nathan’s mother says the school failed her son.
"We couldn't trust the district to do their job to teach Nathan or even keep him safe, and safety is the minimum," she said.
She took Nathan out of the district entirely, and is suing for negligence.
"It just never occurred to me that he would be in a situation with an adult entrusted with his care and that person would be actively hurting him," she says.
In a statement, the school district said they don't comment on pending litigation, but according to the district's website, the aide is still listed as an employee.


More from News 12
1:52
Hudson Valley doctors warn of listeria dangers following multi-state outbreak

Hudson Valley doctors warn of listeria dangers following multi-state outbreak

1:56
Sunny skies and warm temps for Saturday in the Hudson Valley

Sunny skies and warm temps for Saturday in the Hudson Valley

0:38
Multimillion-dollar transformation on the way for sections of Hudson Valley

Multimillion-dollar transformation on the way for sections of Hudson Valley

0:49
New basketball documentary film 'The Process' has ties to Westchester

New basketball documentary film 'The Process' has ties to Westchester

0:49
Olympic watch party in Pomona cheers on Rockland athletes

Olympic watch party in Pomona cheers on Rockland athletes

0:32
Veteran firefighter who suffered stroke receives warm welcome home

Veteran firefighter who suffered stroke receives warm welcome home

0:17
Yorktown police sergeant celebrates final walkout following 2 decades of service

Yorktown police sergeant celebrates final walkout following 2 decades of service

1:40
Lithium-ion battery fire blamed for closure of Newburgh tailor shop

Lithium-ion battery fire blamed for closure of Newburgh tailor shop

0:52
Slate Hill family of 5 loses home in afternoon blaze

Slate Hill family of 5 loses home in afternoon blaze

0:37
2 people charged in Middletown narcotics; firearms bust

2 people charged in Middletown narcotics; firearms bust

1:30
Motorcycle, van crash in Greenburgh causes serious injuries

Motorcycle, van crash in Greenburgh causes serious injuries

0:56
News 12 probes mystery cloud traced to Orange County & seen throughout tri-state area

News 12 probes mystery cloud traced to Orange County & seen throughout tri-state area

1:02
Hillcrest Fire Department receives 2,000 cans of drinking water, courtesy of Anheuser-Busch

Hillcrest Fire Department receives 2,000 cans of drinking water, courtesy of Anheuser-Busch

1:37
Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Skyler Harman strikes down lightning myths

Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Skyler Harman strikes down lightning myths

2:33
Can swimming become dangerous due to extremely high water surface temperatures?

Can swimming become dangerous due to extremely high water surface temperatures?

0:32
NYC officials: Westchester caseworker’s death ruled a homicide

NYC officials: Westchester caseworker’s death ruled a homicide

0:40
State, federal lawmakers introduce legislation to shorten funding gap for World Trade Center Health Program

State, federal lawmakers introduce legislation to shorten funding gap for World Trade Center Health Program

0:34
Ex Frito-Lay employee files defamation lawsuit against PepsiCo claiming he invented ‘Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

Ex Frito-Lay employee files defamation lawsuit against PepsiCo claiming he invented ‘Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

0:40
Executive orders still in place preventing Rockland County and Orange County hotels from converting into migrant shelters

Executive orders still in place preventing Rockland County and Orange County hotels from converting into migrant shelters

0:34
Finger in salad lawsuit against Chop’t discontinued

Finger in salad lawsuit against Chop’t discontinued