EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso Independent School District Interim Superintendent Martha Aguirre released a statement addressing recent events of child safety and well-being, after the death of a student with autism who died after fleeing from campus.
Here is the complete statement:
To our El Paso ISD Family,
Our hearts are heavy across the district with the loss of one of our students, Joseph. My thoughts remain with his family, classmates and teachers, and to them I extend my heartfelt condolences.
We recognize that this loss underscores the importance of continually reviewing our systems,
supports, and practices to ensure we are providing the strongest possible environment for the
safety and well-being of our students.From the outset of this tragedy, we initiated a review of our safety protocols and have since
taken steps to further enhance and strengthen these systems.While an independent review of our protocols will continue and its findings will guide our long-term decisions, I want to make it clear that our work to improve is already underway.
We are committed to further strengthening our standards to support our students, provide
reassurance to families, and enhance outcomes for every child.Where adjustments are identified, we will implement them. Where additional training or
resources are beneficial, we will provide them. Our efforts will continue with urgency and
transparency.Student safety will remain our highest priority, and we will not waver in that commitment.
Thank you.
EPISD Interim Superintendent Martha Aguirre
As KTSM previously reported, Joseph Nathaniel Caraballo, 14, was struck and killed when he was running across U.S. 54. Caraballo was identified as an EPISD student.
Caraballo’s family confirmed his death to KTSM and said that Caraballo had level 3 autism, the most severe on the spectrum. Family members also alleged that this was the third time Caraballo escaped the school since August.
“He’s not here today. Why is he dead right now? Why did he end up on the highway? Far away from the school,” said Evette Ortiz, Caraballo’s mother.
The U.S. Department of Education mandates that all public school children receiving special education services must have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). IEPs are legally binding documents that clearly define the support and services that the student is entitled to from the school.
The family said they had previously met with the school’s special education teachers to discuss a safety plan and other strategies to prevent another elopement.
“Everybody agreed. They signed documents saying that they were going to be there and they were going to support as much as they could, and that things were going to be put in place so that he would stay safe. They failed my brother. They failed my mom,” Alysha Munoz, Caraballo’s older sister, said.
In addition, parents of another EPISD student with autism alleged their child was left unattended and unsupervised during school release.
The child’s father was waiting in the pick-up area for the student when the teacher couldn’t find them. The child, who is non-verbal, was later found in a school parking, far away from the pick-up area.
“This is just, to me, is unforgivable. I mean, my daughter’s four. She can’t speak. She cannot talk. She doesn’t have a voice. And we’re very lucky that she was not upset at that moment. She’s having a lot of issues right now: having outbursts, and she’s getting very upset and just crying, and she can’t tell us what the problem is. We don’t know if it’s stress,” said Alexandria Ruiz, the mother of the student.
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