A Kennedale mother describes the moment she received a phone call that would alter the course of her family’s life. Briana Winkle recounts being contacted by her son’s school principal, who informed her that video footage existed showing her 7-year-old son, Maddox, being physically assaulted by his teacher inside a special education classroom.
“I was baffled. I was shocked, speechless,” Winkle said.
According to Winkle, the footage depicts Maddox , who is autistic and nonverbal , being repeatedly mistreated by a teacher at Patterson Elementary School within the Kennedale Independent School District. She describes one incident in the footage as particularly disturbing.
“There was a point that the pair came up and she had kicked him while he was laying on the ground,” Winkle said.
While the footage was deeply painful for Winkle to view, she acknowledges that warning signs had been present even before she became aware of the alleged abuse. She notes that Maddox had begun crying at the sight of the school bus, a behavior she now believes may have reflected a genuine fear of attending school.
“It’s heartbreaking. No child should be scared to go to school,” Winkle said.
Winkle further states that she had no indication her son may have been a victim until another parent came forward with concerns of her own.
Mother’s complaint sparks investigation
On August 21, Monica Davis reported that her daughter, who also has autism, returned home with bruises on her arm. Davis filed a report with both the school district and local law enforcement regarding the injuries. That report initiated an investigation involving law enforcement agencies and Child Protective Services. Winkle states that she was subsequently contacted after investigators discovered footage implicating her son.
“If she didn’t speak up, we would have never known. And those teachers could potentially still be there,” Winkle said.
Winkle indicates that the school district did not show her the footage until more than two months after the incident had occurred. In September, parents received email notifications stating that the special education teacher and a paraprofessional had resigned, effective September 11. However, Winkle says the district initially offered no explanation for the departures.
“They said that they couldn’t give us any information at that time. We didn’t find out for what it was like a month later,” Winkle said.
Kennedale ISD responds
CBS News Texas contacted Kennedale ISD seeking comment regarding the allegations and the district’s response. The district issued the following statement: “Kennedale ISD has conducted its own internal investigation into concerns related to Patterson Elementary School. The District has notified all parents of relevant and impacted students throughout this investigation. Additionally, the employees involved in this matter are no longer employed by Kennedale ISD. Federal and state laws prohibit the District from disclosing confidential personnel matters or personally identifiable student information. Although the District is limited in the information it can disclose, it has taken immediate action upon notice of these concerns and throughout the review of its investigation. The District has implemented swift measures to address classroom oversight, staff support, and student safety. The District remains fully cooperative with local law enforcement and CPS throughout any external investigations.”
The impact on Maddox
Winkle reports that Maddox is currently receiving therapeutic support and has not attended school in several days. She describes the experience as one that has left her grappling with profound guilt and questioning whether she could have done more to protect her son.
“It’s just really hard. And as a mother, I’m really struggling with the guilt aspect of it,” Winkle said. “Something has to change.”
Arlington police have confirmed that an investigation into the allegations is underway. Child Protective Services remains involved in the matter. As of the time of reporting, no criminal charges have been filed.
