A lawsuit filed Monday alleges a therapist threw a 7-year-old non-verbal autistic boy against a wall at a North Richland Hills behavioral center, resulting in a large scratch and several bruises on his face. According to the lawsuit, the parents were told different versions of the story. Initially they were told the boy scratched himself during a behavioral episode.
They were also denied permission to see surveillance video, but were later provided a copy by another therapist. After the therapist walked away to tend to another matter, another employee allegedly lifted him from his collar and slammed him against a wall with her hands around his neck, stepping on another autistic child in the process, according to the suit.
The alleged incident at ABA Interactive comes months after Fort Behavioral Health shut down following a Star-Telegram investigation into years of abuse and neglect reports. The Star-Telegram previously reported that the Fort Behavioral adolescent programs were repeatedly cited by the state for incidents where children were harmed or abused. The center shut down its adolescent programming two weeks after the Star-Telegram's investigation was published.
The adult program lasted until the facility's last day , which was Jan. Got a tip? Email Megan Cardona at mcardona kera. KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you! Search Query Show Search. Show Search Search Query. Play Live Radio. Next Up:. All Streams. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email. Megan Cardona. See stories by Megan Cardona. Related Content.
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