Elementary teacher fired after disturbing footage of her dragging an autistic child surfaced

Kentucky elementary school teacher Trina Abrams is facing charges of assault after a video of her dragging an autistic child through the school hallways surfaced online.

Alan Jackson was just nine years old at the time of the incident and has been diagnosed with ADHD, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and autism.

"I've seen him truly at his worst, and it's never called him for being dragged down the hallway like that," said Alan's stepfather Calep Nelson.

While Abrams is no longer at the school Alan's parents have serious concerns about the long-term impact of the incident on Alan. They feel it's important to raise awareness about the treatment of children in schools.

"I was horrified, when I saw it, I couldn't believe that she would drag him," said Alan's mom, Angela Nelson

Abrams family believe that the incident has badly affected young Alan's confidence and has been a setback in the long road he has traveled in adapting to school life.

"I feel like I needed to go to social media for my child to have a voice, to let others know what happened and that it doesn't go away," according to Caleb Nelson.

With one of their teachers facing fourth-degree assault charges, the Greenup School district has confirmed that they have removed Abrams from the school and released the following statement:

The Greenup County School District prioritizes the safety of our students. The district followed established safety protocol as soon as this situation became known.

The parent was contacted immediately, and the student was assessed by the school nurse and referred for outside medical evaluation.

Child Protective Services was contacted, and the Kentucky State Police opened an investigation. The teacher was removed from the school, and a formal investigation was conducted.

The superintendent also followed protocol and reported the incident to the Kentucky Education Standards Board.

The EPSB determines whether or not a teacher keeps their teaching certificate. All GCSD staff are trained to prevent incidents of restraint.

Each school has a specially trained team to address immediate issues. In addition, each school has teachers specially trained to address autism-related behaviors.

Read more on our Twitter account, @amomama_usa.