At Merson Law, we represent children and families whose trust was broken by the very institutions meant to protect them.
The allegations detailed in recent reporting by Newsday are deeply disturbing. When a child with special needs is harmed in a classroom or in a care setting, it is not just an individual failure. It raises urgent questions about supervision, reporting, and whether warning signs were ignored or concealed.
Allegations that a teacher repeatedly struck a young special needs student inside a West Hempstead classroom are not just disturbing. They raise serious questions about how a school district charged with protecting children could allow abuse to occur over months without intervention.
According to court records and public reporting, the alleged conduct took place during the school day and involved a child who depended on the adults around him for safety, guidance, and care. That dependence is what makes special education abuse cases so devastating. These children often cannot advocate for themselves, and families are forced to trust that schools are doing their jobs.
When that trust is broken, the harm does not stop with one child.
Abuse in Schools Is Rarely an Isolated Event
In cases involving special education students, abuse almost never happens in a vacuum. Sustained mistreatment inside a classroom typically means there were missed warning signs, ignored complaints, or systemic breakdowns in supervision and reporting.
School districts are legally required to protect students in their care. That duty includes proper hiring, training, oversight, and immediate response when concerns are raised. When abuse continues over time, it is fair and necessary to ask whether those obligations were met.
Criminal charges may address individual wrongdoing. They do not explain how a system failed.
Civil Accountability Forces the Truth Into the Open
As Merson Law partner Nathan Werksman has emphasized, criminal proceedings are only one part of accountability. Civil litigation is often the only process that allows families to uncover what administrators knew, when they knew it, and what actions were taken or not taken in response.
Through civil cases, internal records are examined, witnesses are questioned under oath, and institutional decisions are brought into the light. That process is critical not just for justice, but for preventing future harm to other children.
The Stakes Are Higher for Special Needs Students
Children with disabilities are uniquely vulnerable in educational settings. Many rely on adults for basic daily care. Some are nonverbal. Others are unable to recognize or report abuse.
Because of this, school districts are held to a heightened standard of care. Failure to protect these students can result in lasting physical injuries, psychological trauma, and loss of trust that follows families for years.
When a district fails to meet that responsibility, it must be held accountable.
Standing With Families Seeking Answers
Merson Law represents families in cases involving institutional abuse, school negligence, and failures of oversight. Our work focuses on uncovering the truth, protecting vulnerable children, and holding systems accountable when they fail to do so themselves.
If you believe your child was harmed in a school or special education setting, you deserve answers. You deserve transparency. And you deserve an advocate willing to take on powerful institutions and demand accountability.
We are here to listen.
