SAN ANTONIO – Tx — A second Zachry Middle School parent has come forward with misconduct allegations. A mother recently alleged her 13-year-old non-verbal son with autism was mocked, yelled at, and allowed to self-harm himself without intervention from his teachers.
Now Heather Barker claims she had to withdraw her 11-year-old non-verbal son with autism from Zachry Middle School in 2024 because he wasn’t properly being fed at the middle school.
The mother claims her son requires a special diet due to medical concerns. She claims the school staff refused to microwave her son’s food; forcing him to eat cold food.
“They said they won’t be heating up his food; we’re not going to accommodate him,” Barker said. “We don’t have enough staff or time to do things like that despite that being a part of his special needs.”
Barker says her son was 11 years old with the mental capacity of a 5-year-old when he attended Zachry Middle School in 2024. His individualized education plan required him to have a teacher’s aide with him at all times for safety reasons. The mother claims the middle school staff allowed him to walk in the halls and go to the bathroom alone. She claims when asked the school why her child was allowed to walk alone, she was told they didn’t have enough staff, and he was able.
“He is very afraid of heights,” Barker said. “He got left at the top of the stairs. They left him behind and he tripped down the stairs.”
Northside ISD is currently looking into these concerns. Parents are planning to protest in front of Zachry Middle School Wednesday at 1 p.m. for accountability in all school districts.