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A teacher, her former supervisor and a Michigan school district are named in a federal lawsuit alleging abuse that included taping shut the mouth of a 26-year-old student with cerebral palsy.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday by the student’s mother alleges a photo was taken of the March 2016 incident at Ann Arbor High Point, a school for special-needs students.
The lawsuit alleges that she endured physical, emotional and psychological harm at the hands of the defendants who spilled scalding hot coffee on her, locked her in a bathroom for extended periods of time and slapped her across the face to discourage and prevent her from vocalizing emotions.
Additionally, the suit says that on March 24, 2016, Johnson forcefully taped the student’s mouth shut because she was "making noises."
She allegedly took a picture of the student with tape over her mouth and texting it to Smith, saying, "Help. She won’t be quiet!!!"