A beloved Iowa teacher was fired Monday following an investigation that she used security cameras and sounded the alarm on a fellow educator who allegedly abused a nonverbal autistic student.
The Urbandale School Board voted 4-1 to terminate Webster Elementary School teacher Amanda Delzell’s contract after she spent several months on paid administrative leave, according to WHO13.
One of Delzell’s former students, 7-year-old Keaton Petek, reportedly bloodied himself inside a classroom when he slammed his head into the hard floor while the unnamed teacher stood by and failed to intervene in May 2023.
Petek is non-verbal with severe autism among other disorders that can lead to overstimulation and confusion when there’s a disruption to his schedule.
“One of my students who is autistic and nonverbal was harmed by another educator to the point that there was blood in my classroom,” the concerned teacher told the outlet in November.
Delzell claimed many staffers were made aware of the incident, but not Petek’s parents Paige and Cody.
“The next day I went in and watched the cameras and what I saw was my student’s IEP and Behavior Plan not being followed and the result was serious injury to him,” Delzell said.
“I saw his teacher standing over him allowing him to self-harm, and using her foot to push him down the hall. He was crying out while in the fetal position.”
The student’s IEP and Behavior Plan had precautions in place in case his behavior got to the point of self-abuse.
“So, his behavioral plan states that any type of situation that Keaton is triggered and is banging his head on any object or the ground, an adult will immediately intervene and block his head with the safety cushions,” Paige Petek told WHO13 in December. “And that’s supposed to be followed up with a nurse evaluating him.”
A school nurse evaluated Keaton and later called his mother to inform her that her son had been hitting his head, breaking open a scab on his ear, but was immediately tended to by his special ed teacher.
Paige Petek received an email from the school informing her that her son’s special ed teacher would be “out for a few days.”
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Delzell had repeatedly shared her concerns about the other teacher’s behavior with her bosses but was told that it was under investigation and confidential.
That’s when the Delzell reached out to Keaton’s parents.
“Then on May 30 I was notified by another employee that an incident had occurred involving our son, and that they were told not to say anything or speak about it to parents,” Paige Petek told the outlet.
“We couldn’t believe it. We didn’t know what to do,” the Peteks said.
“We were very upset and hurt and scared,” the boy’s father, Cody, said. “Just not knowing what happened and wondering what are we about to witness? What are we about to see?”
Delzell was later remanded for telling the parents, before the school board ultimately decided to place her on leave.
She said she reported the alleged abuse because of her love for her job and students.
“Being a teacher is my favorite part of my life, I love my kids, I love going to school,” Delzell said. “They took that from me when they put me on leave.”
“I think parents need to know that this can happen in their school district. If you lose sight of kids’ safety, then what are we doing as a district?”
The furious parents have since filed a civil rights complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission about the incident.
Following Monday’s vote, Delzell’s attorney blasted the school board’s decision to fire the teacher.
“We are deeply disappointed by the superintendent’s recommendation and the board’s decision. We are not done with this fight,” the lawyer said, according to WHO13. “We will continue to work to hold the district accountable for the way it has retaliated against Ms. Delzell for doing the right thing.”