At a Glance
- A New Jersey mom says her nonverbal autistic son was given hot sauce by a teacher’s aide at Dale Avenue Elementary
- The district confirms the aide is “no longer employed” after an internal probe
- Only verbal students were reportedly spared the punishment
- Why it matters: The case spotlights discipline tactics used on special-needs children who cannot easily report abuse
A Paterson, N.J., mother says a teacher’s aide at Dale Avenue Elementary School disciplined her 6-year-old autistic, nonverbal son by putting hot sauce in his mouth. The district has since terminated the aide, but the family is pushing for criminal charges and policy reforms.
The Facebook Post That Started It All
On Dec. 22, substitute teacher Kenya Hilton posted on Facebook that a staffer was using hot sauce to punish pre-K and kindergarten students with special needs. The post claimed the only verbal child in the class was exempt.
Hilton told News Of Los Angeles she did not witness the act but heard about it from another substitute who said they saw it firsthand. The next day, Dec. 23, a district investigator contacted Hilton, confirming the district had opened an immediate probe.
A Mother’s Growing Suspicion
Quasheema Frye, 36, has two sons on the spectrum enrolled at Dale Avenue. After reading Hilton’s post, she worried her youngest, Lamond, might have been targeted because he cannot speak.
Lamond’s class has 10 students, all with special needs. Frye phoned the school on Dec. 23.
A secretary, she says, told her the allegations did not involve Lamond’s room and that administrators were “looking into it.”
The Call That Changed Everything
Two weeks later, Frye says, the principal phoned with different news. Frye asked point-blank whether Lamond had received hot sauce.
Friend Ennis Goodman, 49, was present on speakerphone and says the administrator replied:
> “Unfortunately, yes, but we took care of the situation. That person is no longer with us.”
When Frye requested a follow-up meeting this week, she alleges the principal denied ever confirming Lamond was involved. The school’s spokesperson did not respond to News Of Los Angeles‘s request for comment on that specific contradiction.
District Response: Termination but Few Details
During a meeting with the superintendent, district officials identified the accused as a teacher’s aide. They declined to name the individual, citing an ongoing investigation.
A Paterson Public Schools spokesperson told News Of Los Angeles:
> “The District is aware of the allegation regarding an incident at Dale Avenue Elementary School and immediately initiated an investigation in accordance with established protocols. The individual involved is no longer employed by the district. We are committed to ensuring that every student feels safe, respected, and supported.”
The district would not clarify how long the aide had worked for Paterson schools.
Behavioral Clues From November
Frye believes the punishment may have started months earlier. In November and December, Lamond came off the school bus crying and screaming.
When she asked the driver what happened, the response was always:
> “I don’t know. He came out of the school like that.”
Those episodes tapered off after winter break, she notes, around the time the district launched its investigation.
Demanding Transparency and Charges
Frye and Salaam Ismial, director of the National United Youth Council acting as her representative, say the district’s disclosure has been inadequate.
They want to know:
- How long the alleged behavior continued
- How many children may have received hot sauce
- Why law enforcement was not immediately contacted
> “It does not bring me any comfort for the simple fact that, in order for you to have fired somebody, something has to have taken place,” Frye says.
Next Steps
Frye is urging other parents to speak up if they suspect their children were victims.
Ismial says the push for accountability is far from over:
> “There’s a lot of stuff that needs to happen and this story is long from over, because there’s a lot of policy changes that we’re going to be pushing.”
Both mother and advocate want the former aide criminally charged and district policies rewritten to prevent similar incidents.
Ethan R. Coleman reported for News Of Los Angeles.
