An outraged mother calls out to the bullies who traumatized her disabled son by using his wheelchair while ridiculing him to face the consequences.
Kimberly Mitchell of Louisiana sent a letter addressing a recent “senior prank” at Abbeville High School in which students mocked her son Tay’Shawn Landry, who has cerebral palsy and needs a motorized wheelchair.
In the videos, a group can be seen inside the school wreaking havoc by covering a hallway with toilet paper, stacking desks and chairs, and wheeling around in the wheelchair.
A video shared by the mother shows a student in Landry’s chair appearing to hush up his speech and make squeaking noises while another person laughs.
In a Facebook post, Mitchell said the group was “playing with the wrong child and the wrong mother” and “there will be consequences.”
‘Sr. Jokes are fun and all, but if you make fun of my disabled child and his belongings, IT’S BECOME MY PROBLEM,” the angry mother wrote.
A mother is furious and calls for bullies to be punished after videos posted online show teenagers using her disabled son’s wheelchair and making fun of him
Louisiana’s Kimberly Mitchell sent a letter addressing a recent “senior prank” at Abbeville High School in which students mocked her son Tay’Shawn Landry (pictured) who has cerebral palsy and needs a motorized wheelchair
In an interview with KLFYLandry said the videos broke his heart and made him feel unwilling to return to school.
“I was upset. I was angry. I cried. I tried to restrain myself from crying because I wanted to go to school. [I] could not. I was just upset,” he said.
Landry’s wheelchair was in a classroom when students entered the school, a Vermilion Parish School System official said.
“Videos became available Friday on social media showing the students access to a locked room housing an electric wheelchair loaned to an AHS student who uses it during the school day,” Superintendent Tommy Byler wrote.
“Multiple students were seen riding the wheelchair through the hallways and displaying actions that were insensitive and disrespectful to students with disabilities,” he continued.
The superintendent wrote that he and the other board members of the school are “completely disappointed” and “do not condone the behavior in any way.”
Byler’s statement comes days after the heartbroken and angry mother called out the bullies who took the opportunity to mock him in his absence.
‘AAs a mother, it hurt me to see my son upset and not wanting to go to school anymore because he took it as people making fun of him for being different,” she wrote.
“Step in his shoes and tell me how you’d feel?” Mitchell said. “Yes, I know you joke and joke with him daily. The difference is he’s in call presences, he wasn’t last night.”
Even more heartbreaking, Landry said he was shocked and saddened by the videos and the participation of his classmates.
“Some people I go to school with and they want to turn their back on me and do this; that is unacceptable,” Landry said.
‘Sr. Jokes are fun and all, but if you make fun of my disabled child and his belongings IT’S BECOME MY PROBLEM,” Kimberly Mitchell (center) wrote in a Facebook post
A video shared by the mother shows a student in Landry’s chair appearing to hush up his speech and make squeaking noises while another person laughs
In a Facebook post, Mitchell said the group was “playing with the wrong child and the wrong mother” and “there will be consequences”
One video was titled ‘POV. You got the master key to the school’ and shows two students riding the motorized wheelchair in a corridor
In a statement, Byler said the students who worked on the videos had apologized to Landry.
He also said conversations had taken place with the teen and the others.
The talks may not be enough for Landry’s family and friends who have seen the pain the incident inflicted on him on top of the pain and suffering he grew up with.
“His gait is terrible,” said Marilyn Mitchell, his grandmother.
‘He never stood. He had never walked in his life. He has crawled and after the month of surgery he tried to walk. Now he has scoliosis which makes it even more difficult for him to move around,” she continued.
“Show them what it’s like to be on that floor on that rocking cement. Exactly how they drove and whatever closed. See that pain. See the agony. See the frustration of disabled people,’ the grandmother said.
His other grandmother expressed concern about his mental state after the horrific act of bullying.
“With everything that’s going on in the world with the kids these days, we don’t know how it’s going to affect him in the long run,” said Clarice Landry.
The grandmothers also shared their frustration that the consequences for the students involved have not materialized or been made public.
‘What are the consequences for these children? His mother hasn’t heard about the effect they will have on these children,’ Clarice said.
‘Why did they allow this? We are taxpayers, so the school system allows the children to go to the school to do this and mock children with disabilities,” she continued.
“They say these are good kids. I’m not saying they’re not good kids, but if you’re a good kid, why did you do this to Tay’Shawn? Why do you mock him like that?’ the concerned grandmother told the outlet.
‘What are the consequences for these children? His mother has not heard about the effect they will have on these children,” said Clarice Landry.
“I was upset. I was angry. I cried. I tried to restrain myself from crying because I wanted to go to school. [I] could not. I was just upset,” Landry said
“Step in his shoes and tell me how you’d feel?” Mitchell said in her post
In his lengthy statement, Byler said the matter is still under investigation.
The superintendent wrote that “necessary disciplinary action” could result from the results of the school’s investigation.
He added that any disciplinary action against students or staff is confidential.
“The Vermilion Parish School system will not tolerate disrespect for students with disabilities or any behavior that in any way damages school property,” his statement concluded.