ARTICLE AD BOX
A Texas elementary school teacher has been accused of using a dog whistle to get a six-year-old autistic student to listen when they “got overstimulated.”
Amber Escamilla, 46, a former teacher at Bell’s Hill Elementary School in Waco, Texas, was arrested Tuesday on an injury to a child or disabled person charge.
The unnamed boy’s parents said they provided him with earmuffs to wear at school because he was sensitive to sound.
“The victim’s mother described how the beginning of last year, the victim would come home and cry about going to school because the fire alarms would hurt his ears,” the arrest affidavit states.
A witness claims that in September last year Escamilla went into the boy’s classroom and used an electronic whistle to “gain his compliance”.
“The witness observed the child covering his ears and pleading for the defendant to stop,” according to the affidavit. “The defendant utilized the whistle a second time in which the victim responded in the same way.”
The witness claims the child was in visible pain while the whistle was being used.
Bell’s Hill Elementary School’s principal told detectives that they confiscated a whistle from Escamilla in November, officials said.
Child Protective Services workers alerted police from the Waco Independent School District about the alleged incident.
Escamilla told detectives she would only “exhibit the whistle to the victim as a threat to gain compliance”, according to the affidavit.
She is no longer employed by the school and worked there for less than a year, Waco Independent School District spokesperson Wendy Sledd said.
“The actions under review do not reflect the values or expectations we hold for our staff,” she added. “Waco ISD remains committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all students.
The accused was in jail on Wednesday on a $3,000 bond, records showed. The defendant could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
English (US) ·