Parents voice concerns with elementary school’s IEP compliance for special needs students

CHATHAM, Va. (WDBJ) - Parents and a former teacher are voicing concerns surrounding Chatham Elementary School’s IEP compliance for special needs students.

An IEP is a state-wide individualized education program for students with disabilities.

“My concern is, has he been getting speech at all from school?” questioned Lisa Morrison, guardian of a Chatham Elementary student.

Lisa Morrison’s grandson Jaiden is a 4th grader at Chatham Elementary. As a nonverbal student with special needs, his IEP requires that he receive speech therapy twice a month.

Morrison says Jaiden’s outside counselor recommended she ask if he was getting his regular in-school speech therapy.

After asking his aid and his former special education teacher two weeks ago, they told her he was not.

“I said, ‘Mrs. Morrison, I’m going to tell you the truth. He has had speech one time the second semester,’” said Rachel Hunt, former Pittsylvania County Schools employee.

“It really hurt me because I was hoping that he would start saying words and talking by him going to outside counseling and school counseling. Then, with him not getting it, it was like he fell back on his speech,” added Morrison.

His long-term substitute teacher at the time, Rachel Hunt, documented the days from January to May that he didn’t have speech therapy.

She claims even after bringing the issue up to administration multiple times last semester, nothing was done.

“I waited to see if it was going to change and in March, still no change. I went back to my supervisor and I said, ‘this is very disturbing because his IEP is being violated,’” explained Hunt.

Since filing a complaint this semester, Morrison says her grandson now has a new speech therapist.

But he also has a new special education teacher, as Mrs. Hunt is no longer with the school system.

Pittsylvania County Superintendent Steven Mayhew says her employment “ended voluntarily.”

Hunt’s absence, though, is something several parents say they’re struggling with.

“The progress that we’ve seen that she’s made with these kids is extraordinary,” said Cassandra West, parent of a Chatham Elementary student. “We’ve all, as parents, been upset that she isn’t in the classroom with the kids because changes are just not good for children that have autism.”

In a statement responding to the IEP non-compliance allegations, the Superintendent said, “We are unable to discuss specific student matters. However, we are committed to providing all students with the services and support they are mandated to receive, and we take any claim of non-compliance seriously.”