Bucks County father outraged by school's response after 5-year-old son attacked by 4th-grade special needs student
CROYDON, Pa. (CBS) -- A Bucks County dad is taking on social media, sharing his story and demanding change Tuesday night after he said his kindergarten-aged son was allegedly assaulted during school.
In a now-viral TikTok video Stephen Callahan recently posted, he said his 5-year-old son, Grayson, was physically assaulted by a fourth-grade special needs student last Thursday while they were both at Keystone Elementary.
"I haven't ate or slept correctly since it happened," Callahan said in an interview with CBS News Philadelphia Tuesday.
In the social media video, Callahan said he was first told by the school it was an accident, but then later, he learned from the principal that an aide with the fourth-grader was distracted during the incident.
"I feel helpless," he said in the TikTok video.
On Tuesday, the Croydon dad said his son is physically recovering from face and mouth injuries.
"I believe that, due to the negligence of a staff member that a child with special needs was being unattended and that child attacked my son," Callahan said.
Callahan said he is speaking out to ensure this doesn't happen to anyone else. The family's attorney, David Langsam, believes there is surveillance video, but neither he nor the family has yet to see it.
"It's a parent's worst nightmare that you take your kids somewhere where you expect them to learn and be safe and when something like this happens, it completely shatters your faith," Langsam said.
The district confirmed the incident and released a statement that reads in part:
"On Thursday, May 16, a Keystone Elementary Kindergarten student was injured when he was pushed in the cafeteria by a 4th-grade student from a special education program run by the Bucks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU).
We are apologetic to the student and family, and wish the child a speedy recovery. Our primary concern is the health and safety of all our students, and whenever a student is hurt in school, we are saddened.
The BCIU runs a special education program that utilizes space within Keystone Elementary School. The students serviced by this program are students of the BCIU, not the Bristol Township School District. The staff running the program are employees of the BCIU, not the Bristol Township School District."
The statement adds that the BCIU team has an active investigation concerning the incident.
The BCIU released a statement that reads in part, "Based on the outcomes of this investigation, the Bucks IU will take appropriate actions specific to the students, team members, and programs involved. In addition to the swift action taken by the Bucks IU team, the Bucks IU remains committed to supporting all involved in this difficult situation."
Bristol Township Police Department said an investigation is "opened and is ongoing" with the Bristol Township School District and the Bucks County Intermediate Unit.
