PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Luis M. Diaz III, Father of Special Needs Child and Child Welfare Specialist
6:37:45
ยท
3 min
Luis M. Diaz III, a retired army sergeant and father of a 9-year-old nonverbal special needs child, testifies about the physical abuse his son experienced at a D75 school and the subsequent misconduct and retaliation by school administration. He criticizes the lack of accountability and calls for action against abusive practices in special education.
- Diaz's son, who has PBNH (epilepsy), was physically abused at school 596x, leading to his removal from the school on March 8, 2024
- The speaker alleges various forms of misconduct by Principal John Saracuse, including falsifying documentation, forging signatures, and retaliating against staff
- Diaz expresses frustration with the lack of response from various education officials and demands answers and accountability for the mistreatment of his son and other children
Luis M. Diaz III
6:37:45
Yes.
6:37:46
Yes.
6:37:48
Thank you, chair Joseph, for allowing me to testify.
6:37:51
I'm continuing you all.
6:37:53
My name is retired army sergeant Louis MDS the third.
6:37:57
I'm I'm here as a father, father of 90 of a 9 year old nonverbal special needs boy child.
6:38:05
Basically, he's he has PBNH, also known as epilepsy, and he deserves the same safety, respect, and dignity as any other child.
6:38:17
Yet my son was physically abused multiple times while attending 596x, d 75 school.
6:38:26
And mind you, I just wanna let you know, I am also a I work for children's services as the child welfare specialist.
6:38:36
On March 8, 2024, we had no choice but to remove him from that environment.
6:38:41
He came home with bruises, finger and his groin.
6:38:45
This was in a 6 one to 1 classroom under the supposed supervision of a personal health carer and 4 adults.
6:38:52
To this day, we have not been told who is responsible for hurting my son.
6:38:57
Mandated reporters, individual who are supposed to trust us refusing to cooperate with the district attorney.
6:39:05
This silence is lack of accountability.
6:39:07
It's horrifying, but the negligence and misconduct didn't stop there.
6:39:13
The principal John Saracuse, retaliation continued with falsifying documentation on my son's home instruction papers.
6:39:22
His administrator forged my name on the assisted device evaluation, buy them my son's HIPAA rights, cancel this triannual evaluation, and allow negative harmful language to be inserted into his IP.
6:39:36
All this was done.
6:39:38
We when we had a recorded meeting with superintendent Lousan Khattla.
6:39:43
And let me tell you, this doesn't go far because there is a lot of things that principal John Sutterfield has been doing as retaliation, not only to parents, but also to staff, especially good staff who wants to stay there to help the children.
6:40:01
And I'm taking for, for one example, a special high trained teacher, miss b, he has multiple times as threatened to fire her and and constant retaliation against her.
6:40:17
It's certainly because she is the U of T chapter leader, and I think it's racially motivated.
6:40:23
There's nepotism in the school, and nobody nobody wants to do anything.
6:40:30
Only response in that meeting, he can't do anything.
6:40:35
Chief of Coneza Lloyd didn't do nothing for us.
6:40:40
We were ignored.
6:40:41
Doctor Hogarth didn't do anything.
6:40:43
Christina Melendez, a face didn't do anything.
6:40:47
I'm here to demand answers.
6:40:48
I want to know why
Eric Dinowitz
6:40:49
time's expired.
Luis M. Diaz III
6:40:50
I want to know why principal John Schickler gets to evolve.
6:40:54
I've been held responsible for their actions as the New York City continues to protect foul abusers and bullies.
6:41:03
Let me be quick