CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) — The parents of a student with non-verbal autism at Moultrie Middle School are suing the Charleston County School District for alleged abuse at the hands of the district's employees.

The lawsuit, filled on Friday, claims that the student's teacher, Maria Audrey, and other staff members were abusive during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years in the following ways:

• Restricted the student's ability to move by wrapping their arms around him
• Dragged the student by his feet across the floor
• Yanked/pulled the student by his arms in an "overly excessive manner"
• Restrained the student outside of the school
• Trapped the student in parts of the classroom using desks and bookshelves
• Picked up the student, dropped him in a chair and shoved the chair into a desk, causing the student to slam into the desk

A whistleblower allegedly witnessed the abuse and took his or her concerns to the school's assistant principal, Ryan Giles, and principal, Ryan Cumback, as well as another principal at a later date – Anita Huggins. However, according to the lawsuit, no follow-up action was taken, and the student's parents were not informed of the allegations.

Rather, the student continued to suffer emotional distress, according to the whistleblower, who reported that the student would cry and run away from Audrey and refuse to get out of his parents' vehicle to go to school.

The plaintiffs allege the damage caused by the teachers exceeds $100,000.

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