Saniyah, who gets around on a wheelchair, has a rare gene mutation called GRIN1. She can\u2019t speak, and uses an eye-tracking communication device to control a computer to communicate. She relies on family members and caretakers to help with daily tasks, like eating, changing, and using the restroom. <\/p>\n
She\u2019s the pride and joy of her mother, who lovingly calls her her \u201cbox of chocolates.\u201d Sometimes, her mother will catch Saniyah awake at night, laughing and playing. When Saniyah is not in the classroom, she loves to play \u201cRing Around the Rosie\u201d and lounge in the backyard. <\/p>\n
When Saniyah started coming home with bloody diaper rashes in 2023, Nelson felt something was wrong, she said. Then, Saniyah\u2019s weight started dropping. <\/p>\n
Saniyah usually weighs 90 to 95 pounds, but she lost 15 pounds in 2024, after classroom staff put her on a liquid diet, her mother alleges. She is usually spoon-fed her favorite foods \u2014 pasta, potatoes and vegetables during mealtime, ice cream and pudding for dessert, her mother said. <\/p>\n
Nelson reached out to the school about her concerns, but when things weren\u2019t getting better, she decided to take further action. She put a recording device in her daughter\u2019s book bag in January. After hearing cries, she requested video footage of the special needs classroom.<\/p>\n
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In an eight-minute long video Nelson shared with The Dallas Morning News, a staff member is seen bending Saniyah\u2019s fingers backward and hoisting her up by her neck, as they check Saniyah\u2019s pants for bowel movements. <\/p>\n
\u201cStop all of that,\u201d the staff member said, as Saniyah whimpered.<\/p>\n
\u201cStill now, I get choked up, just thinking about it,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cI have to turn the volume down, because just hearing her cry \u2026 it makes me want to vomit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Plano ISD responded to a request for comment, saying they were closed in observance of Thanksgiving and would try to respond next week. The school district told <\/a>WFAA in April that the staff member is no longer employed with the district and was reported to the State Board for Educator Certification<\/a> and Adult Protective Services<\/a>.<\/p>\n A Plano Police Department <\/a>spokesperson said in an email that two charges were filed against the staffer: injury to a disabled individual and endangering a disabled individual. The investigation was filed with the Collin County District Attorney\u2019s Office<\/a> on Nov. 19.<\/p>\n The District Attorney\u2019s Office confirmed they received the case, which will be reviewed and presented to a grand jury, which will decide whether to indict. The grand jury is expected to act next year, according to the office. <\/p>\n Saniyah has not returned to Plano ISD since her mother listened to the audio tapes. For now, she\u2019s staying at home, as the family searches for a private school care program, her mother said. <\/p>\n Nelson has been advocating for increased protections for students with disabilities and faster responses. Plano ISD served about 7,600 students with special needs in the 2024-25 school year, according to state data. Across North Texas, there have been other documented reports of classroom caretakers allegedly engaging in rough behavior with students with special needs. <\/p>\n In March, two Millsap ISD<\/a> teachers were accused of abuse, after a video surfaced of an educator allegedly<\/a> slapping a student with special needs, though it\u2019s unclear if contact was made. Another employee yelled \u201cQuit chewing on things\u201d and threw a toy at the student. Afterward, the teachers were arrested and charged, according to multiple news reports<\/a>. <\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n \u201cThey can\u2019t talk, they may be nonverbal or unable to communicate like me and you,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cYou can\u2019t take advantage of their weaknesses.\u201d <\/p>\n![\"Desde](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1764110775_616_2RN574PSPFC4VLTNA7JGY5RGVI.jpg\")
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