NORMAN, Okla. — A group of Norman parents has filed a federal lawsuit accusing Norman Public Schools of refusing to let special needs students use restrooms, leaving children in dark rooms as punishment and physically restraining students on the floor.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in U.S District Court in Oklahoma City by Oklahoma City attorney Alexander L. Bednar. Norman Public Schools issued a statement through its attorney denying the allegations.

The plaintiffs named were Paul and Tammy Maus, Kristopher Russow, Jesse and Lindsay Riley, Angela Dryden and Eric and Ginger Clayton and five children. Defendants include Superintendent Dr. Joe Siano, the Board of Education and more than a dozen current and former school system employees.

School attorney Robert Pendarvis released a statement Wednesday afternoon.

“The Norman school district denies that it has in any way violated any of the rights of the families bringing this lawsuit. Although federal and state privacy laws prevent us from commenting on the specific allegations raised in this lawsuit, we can say that we believe the school district and its employees have at all times acted property and within the bounds of the law. We intend to defend this lawsuit vigorously, and we are confident that the court will ultimately determine that the claims made in this lawsuit are completely without merit,” Pendarvis said.

According to the lawsuit, defendants Christopher Flores and Carolyn Shave are accused of restraining a minor identified as B.R. “with improper police restraint holds, forcing B.R. down on the floor and pressing a knee in his back, sitting on B.R., pressing B.R.’s head down on the floor and/or desk, and preventing him from using the restroom ... ”

The lawsuit lists similar allegations from other plaintiffs. Shave is no longer employed with the district. Flores remains employed by the district as a teaching assistant.

One of the parents, Kris Russow, said he addressed the school district about his concerns in 2005. He alleges his two children suffered abuse at McKinley and Wilson elementary schools.

“I don’t think anywhere in any educational policy that says if you’re having difficulty with a child stick them in a dark corner for eight hours a day,” he said.

Russow said there are people that need to be punished for their actions.

“The suit is not about the money at all,” he said. “I’ll throw the money off a bridge. I don’t care. It’s about exposing those people who are complicit in allowing children to be harmed.”

Russow said his children now attend Norman’s Eisenhower Elementary School and he’s happy with the quality of education at the school.



Meghan McCormick writes for The Norman (Okla.) Transcript.