When you have a special needs child, you know, without a doubt, that your child needs patience, compassion, and understanding. You assume that your child’s special education teacher has a passion to help special needs children and that they have the proper training to ensure that they meet your child, as well as other children in the classroom, with the specialized care that they need. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
Alexia Bogdis ~ San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office
Alexia Aliki Bogdis, a 44-year-old special education teacher at the Roosevelt Child Development Center was entrusted with the education and special needs of some very young special needs children. But instead of nurturing those children, meeting them with patience and understanding, she allegedly met them with anger and abuse.
While teaching at the Center, Bogdis was said to deprive a child of food and kick him in the stomach. Another student was reportedly slapped, his wrist was twisted and the back of his chair was kicked. The two victims were 4-year-old boys.
Child Protective Services filed a report and police issued a warrant for Bogdis’s arrest, but the teacher turned herself in on Friday. She is currently out on bail and will go to trial on March 1st. The teacher has been charged with five counts of child cruelty and four counts of battery on school grounds, San Mateo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Karen Guidotti said.
At her place of employment, she is on administrative leave and the school says that she will stay on leave until the issue is resolved.
In an official statement, the school’s Superintendent Jan Christensen stated:
“We have zero tolerance toward violence of any kind at our schools. If there is a verification of actual physical abuse toward any student or staff member, I will recommend to the school board that the employee be terminated.”
Related Articles:
