Parents of Disabled Teen Threaten To Sue School After Daughter Breaks Leg
VICTORVILLE (CBSLA.com) — Alexandria Varela has cerebral palsy and cannot speak. The 17-year-old's mother, Guillermina Varela, said she came home from school two weeks ago with a broken right leg.
"They just put her in the bus like that. She was screaming so bad, crying all the way home," Mrs. Varela said.
Alexandria's parents took her to the doctor, and X-rays showed the break.
"I feel very frustrated because she cannot talk to me and say who did it," Mrs. Varela noted.
She dropped her daughter off at Cobalt Institute of Math & Science Academy in Victorville on May 6 as she always did.
That afternoon after a school bus dropped Alexandria off at home, her leg had been broken.
Alexandria's mom said the teacher sent her a note "saying that her foot got caught on the way out of the classroom."
The girl's parents said they are baffled because they said the teen is incapable of moving her right leg. It always rests on the wheelchair foot rest. They questioned how their daughter's leg could have gotten caught in a table.
This is not the first time Alexandria came home injured. Her mom said the teen has come home hurt seven times.
"The first time was last year," recalled Mrs. Varela, who took pictures of her daughter's injuries including bruises, deep scratches, a swollen left foot and now the broken right leg.
Mrs. Varela said she asked the school about where her daughter's injuries came from, and the administrators and teachers said they did not know.
Alexandria's broken leg was the last draw. Her parents had pulled her out of the school.
CBS2/KCAL9's Greg Mills said he did not hear anything bad about the school from any of the students or parents he spoke to Monday.
"I researched other schools and this school no fighting. That's what I like most," said parent Lorena Bevans.
The school district superintendent said he will meet with the Varelas, who said they will be there with their lawyer.