The parents of an 8-year-old boy, who was allegedly denied permission to use the bathroom at a South Los Angeles elementary school, then ordered to urinate in front of his classmates, and forced to wear trash bags over his wet clothing, announced a damages claim this week against the school district.
“When something or someone harms any of our children, especially in a school setting, it affects all of us,” attorney Toni Jaramilla told reporters at a Monday morning news conference. “It affects our community.
She said the boy was “subjected to reckless, cruel and abusive conduct.”
According to the family, the boy was at Manhattan Place Elementary School last November when he asked his teacher to use the bathroom, but he was ignored. Jaramilla said the boy later approached his teacher again and asked to use the bathroom, but was told to use a trash can in front of the class.
When the boy got urine on his clothing while using the trash can, he was dispatched to a nurse’s office, but no nurse arrived and the boy’s parents were never notified, Jaramilla said.
The boy remained in his urine-soaked clothes, and when he arrived at an LA’s BEST after-school program, an employee made him wear two trash bags over his wet clothing, according to the attorney.
“We want to hold accountable all those who were involved in this act of abuse and those who allowed it to happen,” the attorney said.
She said the incident “will cause harmful and long-term emotional trauma” to the boy.
The Los Angeles Unified School District issued a statement last week, said it “takes all matters concerning the safety and well-being of our students very seriously. Upon learning about this allegation, law enforcement was notified immediately, and the district is fully cooperating in the investigation. The district will also conduct an administrative investigation. Due to confidentiality laws, we cannot offer further details at this time.”
The legal claim is a precursor to a lawsuit.
The boy’s mother, Sonia Mongol, said her son was “humiliated and has had to endure pain and suffering as a result of his teacher having him urinate in front of his entire class.”
“We don’t understand. Manhattan Elementary School has given us the impression our child is garbage,” she said. “No child should have to endure this.”
