A police report ascertained that a Florida school and its teachers had not committed a crime or child abuse following it came into sight earlier this month that they abused a student with Down syndrome by tying a mask to the face.
Insufficient Evidence to Support Criminal Violation
A police report from the Indian Harbor Police Department which was gathered on Sunday reads that “There is insufficient evidence to support a criminal violation” against the teacher and instructional aide of 7 years old Sofia Bezerra, adding further “There was no evidence presented which supports that Sofia received a physical or emotional injury.
This case is closed as Unfounded.”
While concluding the investigators said, “As witnessed by multiple teachers, school aides, bus drivers, and school administration staff, at no time, while having the mask tied on, did (Sofia) ever exhibit any signs of distress, discomfort, difficulty breathing, or any other health concerns.”
The report arrives following Bezerra’s step-father, Jeffery Steel, blaming educators at Ocean Breeze Elementary School in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida, stating that they forced his step-daughter with Down syndrome to wear a mask by tying it to her head for about six weeks.
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Steel stated that Sofia is not able to speak and has an enlarged tongue. He stated that she is nonverbal but breathes through her mouth and this is the reason that compelling her to wear a mask is a threat to her health.
But on the 7th of October, the little girl got off from the school bus putting a mask on that was wet from her saliva, tied to her head with a nylon thread, as said by Steel earlier this month. He stated that he didn’t send Sofia to school that day with a mask, and even not before that day also.
Without Asking Her Parents for Consent the School Tied the Mask
The 7-year-old girl has an individual education plan (IEP), which seeks teachers to inform parents about any modification to the plan, and it was mentioned by Steel that the school never notified him or his wife that Sofia must put on a mask.
It was also claimed by him that even before tying the mask to her face, the school did not ask for consent.
A few days later, Steel took his complaints to the school, and then it became important to involve a police investigation in the matter to find out if any child abuse had happened.
Despite suggesting criminal accusations because of the investigation, the police report does validate Steel’s assertion that numerous methods had been tried by the school teachers for attaching a mask to her face whilst not reaching out to her parents for permission.
The school reached out to the rest of the parents whose children were in Sofia’s class and they were also having identical problems with keeping a mask secured, as mentioned according to the report.
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Sofia Has Been Provided an Exemption From Wearing Mask Mandates
The girl has been provided with an exemption to the school’s mask rule, which was executed in defiance of attempts made by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to restrict school mask mandates, about her parents’ complaint, but still, Steel appointed a lawyer and promised to take legal steps against the school.
On Sunday, Steel said that he along with his lawyer would give further remarks over the matter in the upcoming days, further stating that he has trust that the police report supports his assertions despite its suggestion against criminal charges.
Representatives for Ocean Breeze Elementary School could not be promptly contacted for remarks on Sunday.
