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Former AMI student not surprised by abuse allegations
Jordan Bowen reports
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. - The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice is freezing enrollment indefinitely at a school for at-risk youth after a student's skull was fractured, allegedly during an incident with a staff member.
That staffer has since been arrested, along with their supervisor, who is accused of knowing about the child's injuries but not doing anything to help.
Police say a 12-year-old boy was thrown to the ground on his head by a behavior interventionist, 34-year-old Dontae Thomas, who is three times the size of the child.
According to police, it happened at AMI Kids in Pinellas Park Feb. 11. Investigators say the boy was acting out at lunch when Thomas took him to a separate room and threw him to the ground. School supervisor, 28-year-old Jarvis West was also charged after police say he failed to report child abuse despite being aware of what happened.
“I don’t think we’ll ever know the reason why none of the staff chose to render medical aid to a child obviously in distress," Pinellas Park Police Captain Adam Geissenberger said.
After the incident, police say the boy was vomiting and unconscious at times before he was sent home on the bus. Detectives say his mother was never notified. Two days later, she took him All Children’s Hospital where doctors discovered he had a fractured skull and a brain bleed.
Meanwhile, a mother and her son, who used to go to the school, are not surprised.
“What posses you to use that much force on a child?" former student, 18-year-old Michael Sokolosky said.
“I’m not surprised it went that far because he was in the first part of the program and wasn’t there long and got slammed to the ground," Sokolosky's mother Electa Smith said.
Michael says a staff member put their hands on him years ago.
“He put me in a full Nelson and had his hands behind my neck like this and my legs were up to my chest and as he was carrying down the stairs, of course, I was struggling and he’s whacking me into the walls," Sokolosky said.
The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice has opened an investigation into what happened.
“While we are grateful that Mr. Thomas has made the decision to turn himself in," a school spokesperson said in a statement emailed to FOX 13 Friday. "This is an ongoing investigation in partnership with local law enforcement and the Department of Juvenile Justice so we will not be commenting any further.”
West is now out of bond and facing one count of failing to report child abuse.
As of Friday night, Thomas remains in the Hillsborough County Jail and being held on one count of aggravated child abuse.