Teacher Places Boy with Autism's Desk in a Bathroom after Mom Asks for a Quiet Place for Him

A woman was left furious and stunned after asking her son's school to provide a quiet place for her autistic son, and they moved his desk space to the bathroom. Read more on the story.

Danielle Goodwin, a native of Washington state, is demanding answers and an apology after teachers at her son's school, Whatcom Middle School, jammed the boy's desk into one of the school's bathroom stalls.

The mother explained that she had previously discussed making special arrangements with one of the teachers for her son, Lucas Goodwin, to have a more quiet environment to do his school work. The boy was autistic and easily irritated by loud noises.

Danielle noted that the meeting went well. However, she received a big shock when she visited Lucas' new desk space — it was moved to the bathroom.

During an interview, the mother revealed that she was so shocked that she took a picture because the sight was unbelievable.

On the other hand, Lucas said he was surprised and confused when he saw his new sitting arrangement, and he asked, "why?" The autistic boy's desk was placed only a few feet above a functioning toilet seat.

Although the bathroom was quieter, Danielle relayed that she was scared the new sitting arrangement would pose a significant risk to Lucas's health. The bathroom smelled, and the thought of her son doing schoolwork in such a condition was troubling.

Apart from moving Lucas's desk to the bathroom, Danielle also stated that the school provided a camping mat and pillow so that the autistic boy could sleep on the bathroom floor. The woman said her son was disgusted, humiliated, and embarrassed.

Eventually, Danielle shared pictures of the bathroom and the desk workspace on her Facebook page, which went viral. In response to the post, the school district released a statement. The statement read:

"We are continuing to look into this, but at this time, it appears that the restroom was set up as a possible separate quiet learning space, but no student was placed in there. The desk has been removed..."

Although the school district could not share specific details about their students, they assured the public that keeping their students safe and engaged in learning was their top priority.

Despite the statement release, Danielle withdrew her son from the school, as an alternative learning space was not provided for Lucas. The boy was disappointed about leaving the school.

He thought he would remain in the school for the rest of the year, but sadly, he did not. Danielle and Lucas's story reminds parents to pay more attention to their children, especially those with special needs.