A family in El Maitén, in Argentina’s Chubut province, reported a teacher for allegedly spitting on their 7-year-old daughter with Down syndrome at a special education school.
The alleged incident occurred on August 12 at Special School No. 530. The family filed a complaint six days later with the Women’s Police Station. The school’s principal is also mentioned in the complaint.
According to the family, they learned about the alleged incident after another teacher informed them that a staff member had reportedly witnessed the teacher spitting on the girl.
The family says the incident may have been related to the child’s habit of spitting and a previous conversation in which it was allegedly suggested that teachers could do the same to discourage the behavior.
The girl’s parents rejected the idea that the alleged action could be considered a teaching method and described it as mistreatment. They submitted photographs taken that same day that, according to the mother, show a lock of the girl’s hair with a substance she described as saliva.
“We want our daughter to be able to continue going to school, but we need her to be safe and for her rights to be respected,” the family said.
The parents have requested protective measures, including a restraining order, and intervention by the regional Education Ministry.
