LPS Officials Will Respond to NY Times OpEd Alleging 'Terrifying' Treatment of Special Needs Student

A opinion piece published this weekend by the New York Times has gone viral here in Lexington and has residents and school officials concerned over allegations of mistreatment a 5-year-old student in the Lexington Public Schools.

The piece, penned by Bill Lichtenstein, paints a disturbing portrait of a kindergartener with speech and language delays being shut away in a “seclusion room.”

According to Lichtenstein, the incidents involving his daughter, Rose, at the Lexington Public Schools occurred six years ago and the action the family brought against the LPS was settled when the district agreed to pay for Rose’s treatment.

However, Lichtenstein’s allegations—particularly the part when he describes arriving at the unnamed school with his wife to find his daughter “standing naked in a pool of urine, looking frightened as she tried to cover herself with her hands,” in a basement mop closet—have riled residents and sent officials scrambling to figure out what happened and how to respond.

On Monday morning, the School Committee was investigating the claims and working to formulate a response, according to Margaret Coppe, the board’s chairwoman.

“We’re very concerned,” Coppe told Patch. “The safety of the children is our top priority, and we are working to find out what happened.”

As of about 10 a.m. Monday, there was no official timetable for the district response, but stay tuned to Patch – we’ll post it as soon as we get it.