About the teacher in Florida

LawDog and Sue Doe Nim have posts up about a Teacher in the Florida school system who took a small 5 year old student who might suffer from Aspergers Syndrome, and belittled him in class, by having him stand up in front of his class and having his classmates tell him what they don't like about him. I won't write much about this but I am going to post the letter I wrote to the teacher involved.


Ms. Portillo,

As a parent of 7 children, including an 11 year old boy with Aspergers Syndrome and a 10 year old girl with ADHD, I have to ask you what part of the training you received, informed you that to belittle a child in front of his/her peers is a good thing?

As a Minister I have counseled many people who have received treatment such as you have "bestowed" upon a small 5 year old child. At 5 the psyche of a child is very fragile and fluid. We are supposed to cradle the psyche and nurture it, not tear it down with a wrecking ball of scorn. That you would do so shows a lack of understanding of a child's psyche, and no understanding at all of a special needs child.

This child deserves a complete and honest apology from you, your administrators and guidance counselors from your school, for you and they have failed this child, and his parents trust.

You are there to educate children, teach them how to think. Give them the foundation for the rest of their academic lives. You have failed, not just this child, but every child in your class. You taught those children it is all right to ridicule someone who is different, or may have problems.

By your actions, you have shown those children that intolerance of being different is ok. I won't say that you have opened the way for intolerance such as Racism or Bigotry, but children learn many things which we don't wish them to. It is up to us as adults, Teachers and Ministers to teach them right from wrong. And through your actions, you have muddied the waters so to speak, and befouled these children's moral compass.


Please take whatever actions necessary to correct this and clear up the "compass" so all of these children may have a proper bearing.

Reverend Mark L. Anderson
Texas Fellowship Files
Fulton, TX