Student With Down Syndrome Allegedly Dragged By School Aides

LA HABRA (CBSLA.com) — The mother of a boy who has Down syndrome says her son was dragged from a campus cafeteria to a bus by school aides.

The parents of Ayden Patrick, 8, who was allegedly dragged by aides of Las Lomas Elementary School in La Habra, say they were initially alerted of the incident by other parents.

"It was so rough when they dragged him with the tops of his shoes dragging all the way to the bus stop," mother Aymee Ayrington said.

Ayrington says she received a text message from a concerned parent, who says they had witnessed the event unfold. The text read in part, "...it just looked so wrong the way he was treated (and) the way he was handled. It was 2 girls each one had his hands very tight and rough."

"She said all the parents gasped, and she heard one parent say 'Oh, my gosh. Look what they're doing to that little boy,' " Ayrington said.

While no cellphone video was captured, Ayden's father says that by looking at his son's scuffed-up shoes, he's seen enough.

"So, my son was literally being dragged like this for several hundred feet," Ayden's father said.

After having Ayden checked by a doctor, the parents say they learned that their son had suffered broken blood vessels and scratches on his arm.

Ayden's parents now say they want to see video surveillance from the school's cameras.

The school's superintendent says she is aware of the incident but reportedly suggests that based on what she had been told, that it was a proper hold.

Cammie Nguyen, Ph.D., a program specialist with the La Habra City School District, issued the following statement to CBS2:

"On 7/9/15, an incident involving a student occurred at Las Lomas School in the La Habra City School District during the last week of the summer program. Staff members, trained in nonviolent crisis prevention intervention techniques, were using a variety of nonverbal, verbal, and physical intervention techniques to de-escalate a student who was having behavioral difficulty. At this time, the District is aware of the family's concerns and will continue to work collaboratively with them to answer any additional questions or concerns that they may have."