Newark Public Schools District has settled a federal civil lawsuit pressed by Ana Diaz Vega, who charged that a teacher’s aide at Quitman Street School assaulted her seven-year-old son, who has autism. The family will receive $1.2 million, to be paid over several years. TapintoNewark retrieved the settlement papers through an Open Public Records request.

Vega charged that her child was “violently assaulted, beaten and battered” on at least two separate occasions by the paraprofessional, Corey Foushee, including on April 13, 2022. “Foushee dragged him, pushed him down the stairs, grabbed him, and using an open hand, then pushed him to the floor,” the lawsuit states. “The plaintiff was stunned, shocked and terrified.”

Foushee’s abuse of the student was captured on surveillance cameras.

From Tapinto:

“The settlement agreement stipulates that $750,000 of the initial payout will come from the school board’s insurance carrier and $225,000 will come from the board itself. An additional $225,000 from the board is to be paid out by the board in 2024, under the agreement.

A police report states that when Vega picked up her son at the school that day, he was screaming and told her about the assault. At Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, where the family sought treatment, officers observed bruises on his back, chin and arms, as well as a bleeding tooth, police say.”

The family of the boy says the abuse was the result of “long-established policies, practices and customs” of the Newark Board of Education.” From the lawsuit: “NBOE had for years known about several unrelated illegal assaults being perpetrated by certain of their employees upon certain students at [Quitman Street School] yet purposely hid same, never properly recorded/reported same and never advised certain affected parents/guardians of the victims.”

The settlement with the district includes a section that says, “defendants deny the allegations made in the lawsuit, continues to deny any and all liability claims in the lawsuit, and denies the Defendants violated any laws or engaged in any unlawful or wrongful conduct.”

On March 29th the teacher’s aide, Foushee, was indicted by a grand jury for two counts of aggravated assault and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Newark School District officials declined to comment.