Greenville Co. parents ask for more resources for children with special needs following student’s death

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) — Parents filled the Greenville County School Board’s chambers Tuesday asking for change following the death of a second-grade student who lived with autism.

“The district must take the safety and mental health of our disabled children seriously,” Amanda Myers said.

“What happened with Leo was a complete tragedy, but nonetheless it was neglect,” James Bello said.

Lionel “Leo” Cervantes, an eight-year-old, attended Bells Crossing Elementary School. He died earlier this month after he ran out of the school and drowned in a nearby pond.

Several parents pleaded with the school board for more resources for children with special needs. They asked that registered behavior technicians (RBT) be allowed in schools and for the district to offer applied behavior analysis therapies (ABA) in schools.

“They [RBTs] have a mandatory rule that they have to be within a foot and a half of the child purposely so that if the child does elope, they can get them in time and safely before something happens again,” Bello said.

“I think it would be really beneficial to have additional aides in the classroom and just additional funding in general for teachers,” Bridgette Watson said.

Parents are asking the school district to work with them to prevent another tragedy from happening.

“I am requesting that we have a task force committee,” Alisha Taylor said. “We have to solve this as a community with a diverse group of experts to come together and say, ‘What can we do?’ We’re terrified.”

Greenville County Schools released a statement following Tuesday’s school board meeting:

We appreciate parents advocating for their children, and we want to partner with them to best support their students. Parents can request ABA therapy to be provided by the District by scheduling an IEP meeting, as mandated by the federally required process.

If it is determined a student needs ABA therapy, it is incumbent for the District to provide that service and that would be done in one of two ways: by utilizing District staff trained and equipped to offer the service directly or by contracting a third-party provider. Some parents have requested to have a private, for-profit provider deliver ABA services for their child during the school day. There is a misconception that the primary role of the third-party, for-profit ABA providers is to support the education or curriculum being utilized in the classroom, but it actually is to address and follow a specific plan regarding behaviors that are specific to one child. Regardless, we will continue to meet with parents, review these requests one an individual basis, and support all students, including those with disabilities.

Tim Waller, Greenville County Schools’ Director of Media Relations

Coroner’s report on Cervantes’ death

The Greenville County Coroner’s Office released a report about the events that up to Cervantes’ death.

The report stated that Cervantes was in a classroom with a teacher and two teacher aides when he “suddenly pushed through the makeshift classroom door barrier on the 2nd-grade hallway, ran down several halls, and eventually out of the door.”

A school resource officer told investigators that four teachers ran after Cervantes and used their radios to tell school staff to be on the lookout because they “had a runner.” Cervantes was last seen running off of school property and into a grassy field. His body was found less than four hours later in a nearby pond.

Cervantes’ disappearance led to a “search by 50 to 100 deputies, K-9 units, and volunteers,” according to the report.

The report also stated that a school resource officer told investigators that Cervantes “IS A RUNNER and has run out of the classroom several times but never off school property” before the day he died.

Greenville County Schools provided a statement about the “makeshift classroom door barrier” that was referred to in the coroner’s report:

Room dividers are an educational tool used in classrooms, often special education classrooms, for multiple purposes. They can be used to minimize distractions, including the view of the door which can be a distraction for some students. They can also be used to teach students how to access beyond the boundary with appropriate replacement behaviors; for example, asking for a pass to go for a walk. It’s important to point out that we can’t put “barriers” in front of doors due to fire code. A room divider would be set back away from the door, not put across it like a barrier.

Greenville County Schools

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