“A resource officer from the school called me and said my daughter’s wrists were bound together by tape,” Spinelli told the outlet. “Another half hour went by, and the resource officer called me back and said it was also on her mouth.”
Five employees at Brackman Middle School in Barnegat, New Jersey, were terminated after an 8-year-old student with autism was allegedly restrained with tape in the classroom. Kasi Spinelli, the girl’s mother, told News 12 New Jersey, “A resource officer… said my daughter’s wrists were bound together by tape… it was also on her mouth.” She also revealed that photos of her non-verbal daughter, bound with tape in different outfits, suggested the incident occurred multiple times. Barnegat’s school superintendent, Brian Latwis, confirmed the termination of one teacher and four paraprofessionals. Although Barnegat police concluded no crime was committed, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office is continuing the investigation. Spinelli expressed concern over her daughter’s inability to communicate the incident, stating, “She can’t come home and tell me how her day is.”