A 19-year-old student named Aleysha Ortiz, who went to Hartford Public School and has a disability, says she graduated without being able to read or write. She has now filed a lawsuit because she was bullied and neglected by the school staff, including her special education case manager.
Aleysha is asking for $3 million in damages. Her lawyer, Anthony Spinella, said, “We’re not asking for help to learn reading and writing. We’re suing to get back the emotional pain she felt while trying to get the school to help her and how badly some teachers and staff treated her.”
This is Aleysha’s second lawsuit against the school and its staff. In her first suit, she asked for help learning basic skills she missed in school, and that case is still ongoing.
In the new lawsuit, she claims her special education case manager, Tilda Santiago, bullied her for months. Aleysha says Santiago tried to control who could help her and even argued with teachers. According to the lawsuit, Santiago embarrassed her in front of others, scared her, and changed her attendance records.
The Hartford Board of Education employees are also accused of not doing their jobs to stop the bullying against Aleysha.
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