A teacher in Texas has been arrested for allegedly using an electronic dog whistle to control a 6-year-old autistic student, causing the child to come home in tears due to the pain inflicted.
Amber Escamilla, 46, is accused of using the whistle on the child at Bellâs Hill Elementary School in Waco when he became overstimulated, as reported by KWTX.
She was arrested and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of causing injury to a child or disabled person, a third-degree felony.
The child’s parents reported that their son wore earmuffs at school due to sensitivity to sounds, believing that fire alarms were causing him pain in his ears.
During an investigation, it was revealed that Escamilla had been using the whistle on the child, prompting the principal to confiscate it in November.
Another staff member recalled Escamilla showing the device to colleagues, indicating it was used to control the child when he became loud.
Escamilla admitted to using the whistle as a threat to gain compliance, claiming it was only used once on the playground.
However, a witness stated that the teacher used the whistle in the classroom, causing the child visible distress and pain.
The witness described the child covering his ears and pleading with the teacher to stop while using the whistle.
Escamilla, who had worked at the Waco Independent School District for less than a year, did not have her contract renewed following the incident.
Wendy Sledd, a spokesperson for the district, stated that the actions of Escamilla do not align with the values expected from staff members and that the district is cooperating fully with the investigation to ensure a safe and supportive environment for all students.
following sentence in a different way:
Original sentence: The cat purred contentedly as it curled up on the soft blanket.
Rewritten sentence: The soft blanket was where the contented cat curled up and purred.
