Middletown Families on National TV Discuss 'Scream Rooms'

  Isolation rooms are used by Connecticut schools, but became the center of debate when Apryl Dudley PTA President at Farm Hill  brought the mis-use of these rooms to the public's attention leading Middletown Board of Education to investigate as well as state agencies. The media dubbed these room 'scream -rooms' after people came forward after hearing screams of children and the alledged locking of students in these rooms. Union 466 Vice President Jeff Daniels stated his staff had cleaned urine and blood from the room at Farm Hill. This former janitor's closet which had an unlocked electrical cabinet inside, and had been used as an isolation room. Superintendent at the time was Michael Frechette who's contraint has not been renewed as a result of this controversy and many others the Insider previsously covered.

  The segments feature parent Jane Flanders Majewski who has a child with Autism, and her family's plight in dealing with local Special Education Services, Board of Education Administration, and the State Dept. of Education trying to get an appropriate plan of individualized education in place for her son and proper training for aides who are often unprepared regarding safety techniques. It was discovered by state investigation that a Middletown aide had used an unlawful restraint technique with Majewski's son. The Insider would like to commend Majewski, Dudley and other families for being brave enough to come forward and advocate for special needs students.

“Good Morning America”is broad cast at 7 a.m., “World News” at 6:30 p.m., “Nightline” is at 11:35 p.m. and the segments will be featured during each.

 

Open to Public Disability Rights Event at Wesleyan Saturday

Disability Community Remembers George Hodgins
and Other Disabled Victims of Domestic Violence

Middletown, CT – Local disability rights advocates will be holding a vigil to honor
the lives of disabled people murdered by their families and caretakers. This is part of a nation-
wide Day of Mourning, during which disability rights activists in cities across America will hold
events to remember members of the disability community whose lives were lost to domestic
violence.

On March 6, George Hodgins, a 22-year-old autistic man, was murdered by his mother in
Sunnyvale, California. In response, the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) held a vigil in
Sunnyvale on March 16th. During the vigil, mourners read a list of names, beginning with Tracy
Latimer, a disabled teenager killed by her father in 1993. At the same time as ASAN’s vigil was
being held, Tracy’s father was speaking on a television panel for the Canadian Global News,
arguing for legalizing the killing of disabled people - in the name of "mercy."

When disabled people are murdered by caretakers or family members, many people justify these
murders as “understandable,” or talk about the “burden” of caring for someone with a disability.
This is the view that was aired on Canadian Global News, and in many news articles covering
the murder of George Hodgins. Many people are quick to justify the murder of a disabled person,
when they would offer no such justification if the murder victim were not disabled. Therefore,
the national Day of Mourning is meant to demonstrate to the community that the lives of
disabled people have value.

The vigil will be held at Wesleyan University, Usdan Courtyard, Saturday March 31rst, 6pm to 8pm.