COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -The mother of a Colonie Central High School student is calling for change after the privacy of her son with special needs was violated. NEWS10 chose to keep the mom's and her child's identities private for this report.
On Wednesday, September 25, the mother says she got a call from an assistant principal that an explicit picture of her son was circulating on social media. The incident happened two days prior but her son never told her. She explained he has special needs and doesn't know what happened after he left the bathroom.
"I did see the picture. It was... It was gut-wrenching because you could kind of see he was trying to pull his shirt down," described the student's mom.
"I don't know if he knew that something was going on and he was just trying to cover himself up. It makes me feel sad because he's so vulnerable but it also is a little bit of a relief that he doesn't understand the magnitude of what happened."
With the advice of the school resource officer, she filed a police report and says the kid responsible was interviewed by Colonie Police. The South Colonie Central School District sent NEWS10's Anthony Krolikowski the following statement:
"We are aware of the information shared online by a parent concerning the recent incident, and we recognize that this is an incredibly difficult time for their family. While we are unable to provide specific details due to privacy laws, please be assured that the situation was addressed thoroughly, and all students involved were held accountable according to the school's Code of Conduct. We also want to acknowledge the important role played by the Colonie Police Department, whose support was instrumental in identifying the individual responsible. It’s worth noting that information shared online may not fully reflect the comprehensive investigation carried out by our administration."
The mom says that she, "Felt relief because I had answers about this person that chose to violate my son and victimize him. He made a wrong decision and a huge mistake but lessons have to be learned here and things need to be buttoned up a little bit."
She adds her son is currently being escorted to and from the bathroom. As part of his education is learning to be independent, she hopes the school can better accommodate him and prevent this from happening again by having a private bathroom near the special needs classroom for them to use. He is doing well in school and has a smile on his face.
It's not confirmed what the punishment for the child who took the picture is but the district says, "All students involved were held accountable in alignment with the school’s Code of Conduct, which includes appropriate disciplinary actions and restorative practices to help students understand the impact of their actions and support a positive school environment." Unlawful surveillance and spreading the explicit image are possible charges.
The school district did confirm that, "...phones are allowed in school; however, there are strict rules prohibiting the use of phones and cameras in restrooms. We have a comprehensive policy addressing the misuse of electronic devices." Assemblies on online safety and security are also held in the high school and middle schools. Discussions on sharing explicit content as minors are included.
