5 school staffers charged after boy told to eat own vomit

2023-05-04 08:47:03 Written by Alex

Five individuals, including four staff members and a behavioral technician, at an elementary school in Indiana have been accused of forcing a 7-year-old special education student to eat his own vomit using a spoon. The accused individuals are identified as Sara Seymour (27), Debra Kanipe (63), Julie Taylor (48), Kristen Mitchell (38), and Megan King (24).

Brownsburg police announced on Facebook that all five have been charged with misdemeanor failure to report.

Police stated that in relation to the events that took place in February at Brown Elementary School in Brownsburg, which is approximately 20 miles northwest of Indianapolis, Sara Seymour, and Debra Kanipe have been charged with felony neglect of a dependent.

According to authorities, surveillance footage captured the student sitting at a cafeteria table and eating his lunch. The boy then stood up and seemed to choke on his food. Police reported that Sara Seymour, who is a life skills teacher, seemed to instruct him to sit back down.

As per the police statement, it is alleged that Sara Seymour told the child that he would have to eat his vomit if he threw up. At the time, Julie Taylor, another life skills teacher, was present and provided the boy with a tray.

The child then vomited on the tray and table. Debra Kanipe, who works as a life skills instructional aid, reportedly gave the boy a spoon, which he was forced to use to eat his own vomit. Kanipe also allegedly provided paper towels for the child to clean up the remaining vomit.

Megan King and Kristen Mitchell were present during the incident and witnessed what happened. The police statement also noted that both Seymour and Kanipe stood on either side of the child as he consumed some of his own vomit.

Megan King works as a behavioral technician at K1ds Count Therapy, which is a third-party contractor associated with the school. The company has not yet responded to a request for comment as of Thursday.
Brownsburg police were informed of the incident on April 12, soon after the school learned about it.

The Hendricks County Prosecutor's Office pressed charges on Tuesday. According to online jail records, Sara Seymour and Debra Kanipe were taken into custody on Wednesday and were released on the same day. It is unclear at this point whether they have retained legal representation.

Superintendent Jim Snapp released a statement on April 17 expressing his deep sadness regarding the actions of the staff members involved in the incident. According to the police, the termination process for Sara Seymour and Debra Kanipe has already begun.

A spokesperson for Brownsburg Community School Corp. informed WTHR, an NBC affiliate in Indianapolis, that all employees involved in the incident will be terminated when the school board meets next month.