Baltimore family settles with city for $170k over alleged 2019 assault of student

BALTIMORE -- A Baltimore family is getting more than $170,000 from the city as part of a settlement stemming from an alleged 2019 assault at a school.

Standing outside of Baltimore City Public Schools' administrative office on North Avenue Monday, the family's lawyer said the nearly 15-year-old victim can finally move on.

The incident was caught on surveillance cameras at Pimlico Elementary/Middle School in July 2019. The victim, who is a child with autism, was 9-years-old then.

In the footage of the incident, former BCPS special needs teacher Sara Dixon can be seen grabbing the victim and slamming him to the ground. 

That's only a snippet of Dixon's actions that lawyer Stephen Thomas Jr. said prompted the lawsuit between that student's family against the school district.

"What makes this case so egregious is not just the actions of the teacher, but the inactions of her colleagues that were present and observed the actions taking place," Thomas said.

The settlement was unanimously approved by the Board of Estimates, Baltimore City's spending board.

Thomas Jr. described the settlement as a moment of relief for his clients.

"They've been heard. Some sense of justice is now theirs," he said.

The complaint, which was initially filed in September 2022 and amended in December 2022, lodged assault, excessive force and seven other charges against the school district and Dixon.

It also said Dixon claimed something happened outside of the school, causing the victim to have an "autistic meltdown."

"That incident alleged that the student was injured and we at city schools take very seriously any situation of student injury," said Josh Civin, chief legal officer for BCPS.

Dixon is paying $1,500 of the settlement.

"Folks still keep their pension and kind of move on with life after they've taken precious revenue away from our citizens that can go to rec centers and roads," said City Council President and Board of Estimates chairman Nick Mosby.

Thomas Jr. said more accountability is needed in these cases, but this is a start.

"While we would have liked to have seen Ms. Dixon held even more so accountable, we're grateful that she didn't get away not feeling the burden of her actions," Thomas said.

In a statement to WJZ, BCPS said since the incident the school district has "implemented robust de-escalation procedures designed to minimize the need for physical force and to promote voluntary compliance."

BCPS said some of those procedures include use of persuasion, issuing warnings, and requesting additional resources when needed.