Parents speak out after Brownsburg school employees charged with feeding vomit to child

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (WISH) — The Brownsburg School Board met Monday night for the first time since staff members were charged with neglect of a special education student.

A 7-year-old child with special needs was forcibly fed vomit by a teacher and aide in the Brownsburg Community School System in February, police say.

Brownsburg Police Department says that through interviews and reviews of evidence, a teacher allegedly told the child that if he vomited, he would be required to eat what he threw up. Another teacher who was present, provided a tray for the child to vomit on. After the child vomited, a third staff member provided a spoon that the child was told to use to consume his vomit.

About a dozen people from the community spoke in front of the school board.

One parent, Mary Statton, said “I mean, how can that many people willingly participate in a horrible thing and not report it? I just don’t understand.”

Another parent, Melodie Ondecker, said, “The fact this incident occurred in February and wasn’t publicized to the students, parents, the Brown Elementary families and the staff until April is unacceptable. I love our Brown Elementary family, but I am upset with how our leadership handled this.”

Blaire Evans, another parent, told the board, “And it’s that I can’t sleep. I’m terrified to give him to you.”

The teachers and staff members connected to the incident are no longer with the school district.

Charges previously announced by the Hendricks County Prosecutor’s Office were as follows:

• Brown Elementary Life Skills Teacher Sara Seymour, 27, was charged with neglect of a dependent as a Level 6 felony, and failure to report, a Class B misdemeanor.
• Brown Elementary Life Skills Instructional Aide Debra Kanipe, 63, was charged with neglect of a dependent as a Level 6 felony, and failure to report, a Class B misdemeanor.
• Brown Elementary Life Skills Teacher Julie Taylor, 48, was charged with failure to report, a Class B misdemeanor.
• Brown Elementary Life Skills Instructional Aide Kristen Mitchell, 38, was charged with failure to report, a Class B misdemeanor.
• K1ds Count Registered Behavioral Technician Megan King, 24, was charged with failure to report, a Class B misdemeanor.

The law firm of Connell Michael Kerr recently announced it is representing the family of the 7-year-old.