Student alleges he was assaulted at special education school

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - A special education school in Holland is under fire after a student’s father is preparing to sue after he says his son came home covered in bruises.

The LEAP Program, like other special education schools, is supposed to be a place where kids with special needs can feel safe, but one former student says that wasn’t his experience.

“They both got me and slammed me against the wall, said Mario Mangold, a former student. “They had their forearm on my neck and one of them had my face against the wall and my hand against the wall.”

Mario’s father, Jason Mangold, says the 13-year-old was assaulted at the LEAP Program because he had fallen asleep.

“He had fallen asleep in class, and when they woke him up, they wanted him to stand,” said Jason Mangold. “He was leaning on his desk. They apparently didn’t like that. So, they was yelling at him about it, giving him a hard time about it.”

The 13-year-old says he told his teachers he was going to sit outside of the classroom, which is a coping mechanism he uses to stay calm in stressful situations.

“The staff member followed him out of class, then shoved his face and his hand up against the wall,” said Jason Mangold. “The other staff member used his forearm and put it up against his neck to where he couldn’t breathe.”

Now, Mario is looking for a new school and his father is hiring a lawyer.

“I am going to get justice one way or another,” said Jason Mangold. “No one is going to put their hands on my kid like this.”

13 Action News reached out to the LEAP Program to get their side of the story and they told us they had no comment.

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