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Boy's Parents "Shaken" By Caught On Video Incident

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Aug 25, 2009 7:12 pm US/Eastern

Boy's Parents "Shaken" By Caught On Video Incident

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― The caught on camera incident of an 11-year-old boy with autism being slapped and screamed at by his teacher has outraged both parents and advocates of children with special needs.

But even though the incident happened more than a year ago, the boy's mother, Mary Ann Butler, is still overcome with emotion.

However, she now hopes the sight of her son being abused may serve to protect other kids with special needs in the future.

A little over a year ago, Jerrett and Mary Ann Butler say they obtained a copy of the video showing a Pittsburgh Public School special education teacher slapping and berating their son, J.R.

"My husband and I were shaken to the core," said Mary Ann Butler. "We just gasped. I couldn't believe what I saw. My husband ran out of the house and just stood in the backyard and cried. This is just something very upsetting to our family that someone could do something like this to a child who cannot speak."

The attorney for the former teacher, Lori Davis, says at the time she was overburdened with eight students with special needs and an insufficient number of aides.

"Let's understand this - the tape is only a momentary view of what was going on in that classroom," said Craig Lee, Davis' attorney. "It was a difficult situation."

Lee also says Davis is a diabetic who was experiencing low blood-sugar and dealing with a child who had a tendency to act out.

"He did have a history of pinching, biting and kicking," said Lee.

But Lee's statements have outraged Butler.

"My family is just appalled, truly appalled by the pathetic excuse of this attorney on behalf of his client," she said. "This teacher should never have an excuse to violently attack any child. Let alone one who can't defend himself."

Butler says she's gotten calls from as far away as the West Coast from parents who say their kids have been also abused.

She says she is also calling for protections like cameras in the classroom to protect other children in the future.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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