School Violence Expert Witnesses Opine on Sexual Abuse of Disabled Students

Case Overview

This case involves several special needs students who were sexually assaulted by other students in a school in Idaho. The victimized students suffered from a range of disabilities, including Autism and Down Syndrome. The Plaintiffs all had experienced being bullied and sexually assaulted by other students. There were several incidents of abuse over an extended period of time. It was alleged that the special needs program in which the victims were enrolled was grossly negligent, and created a culture of abuse without taking basic precautions to protect the health and safety of the disabled students.

Questions to the Child Abuse and Neglect expert and their responses

Do you have extensive experience working with special needs students?

I have extensive experience working with special needs students.

Are you familiar with the proper steps in proper supervision of these students?

I am intimately familiar with the proper steps and protocol to ensure proper supervision of special education students.

Are you familiar with proactive supervision?

I am familiar with proactive supervision, and I have served as an expert on numerous cases similar in scope to this one.

About the expert

This highly qualified expert is a licensed Educational Psychologist and a dual certified Teacher and School Counselor. He has 40+ years of experience in the field of education at all institutional levels. His expertise is in the area of educational safety including physical and emotional trauma, sexual molestation and wrongful death of handicapped and non-handicapped children. He has extensive research in cognitive-behavioral therapy and supervisory training for educational staff with special needs students. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and given presentations nationwide. Currently, he holds the position as a Professor and Consultant for Education & Psychology along with Chairman and Professor of Forensic Psychology for a University in the Greater Malibu Area.