Families have told of the trauma their autistic children suffered at the hands of a teacher convicted of abusing them.
Linda McCall was found guilty in July of assaulting five pupils aged between five and seven years old.
Solicitor Marina Urie said her firm is vigorously pursuing compensation for families
The offences against the non-verbal pupils occurred between August 2016 and October 2017.
Dragged violently
One parent has told of how her son was dragged violently along the floor.
McCall was employed by the Scottish Borders Council, which has admitted liability in the case.
One mum said her son still shows “fear in his face as if he is having flashbacks”. The trauma also comes out when he “bursts out crying for no reason”.
She said he now has nightmares, while she struggles with depression and anxiety because she feels she failed to protect him.
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Another mum said while her son wasn’t harmed physically. However, he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by witnessing “the shouting, the violence, the threat of violence towards the other children”.
Solicitor Marina Urie represented the families, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, in the case.
Urie said the admission of liability by the council was a “major moment” that had seen the families “vindicated”.
She said she is now “vigorously pursuing civil cases for all the families involved to obtain compensation”.
‘Shambolic at best’
The council repeatedly told the families for years that their children were not harmed, Urie alleges.
But the council’s investigations were “shambolic at best”. At worst, she alleges they were “part of a cover up”.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Borders Council said the case remains an “ongoing legal matter” that has “not been finalised”.
An independent inquiry, led by Andrew Webster QC, is considering the council’s handling of concerns raised about McCall.
Related:
- Councillor alleges school ‘abuse’
- Mum videos son’s shocking restraint
- Politicians back crackdown on restraint
- Call for tight rules on school seclusion
- School pupils ‘suffer broken bones’
- Mum in court move over school restraint
- Legal plan to protect our schoolchildren
- Nine in ten disabled children restrained
- Protest at chill-out room reforms
- Scots take seclusion fight to parliament
- Dad demands tougher laws on restraint
- Mum reports school for restraining son
- Petition demands that police train in autism
- Mum petitions for forced autism training
Published: 20 November 2021
