Harford school chief defends response to abuse allegations at Hickory Elementary

Harford County School Superintendent Barbara Canavan defended her staff’s response to complaints of alleged abuse of students with autism at Hickory Elementary School in Bel Air during the 2014-2015 school year.

Speaking publicly Monday for the first time about the situation, Canavan said she and her staff acted “without hesitation” to report what she said was a “disheartening and horrifying complaint” they received about the alleged treatment of the Hickory students with autism.

She spoke at the start of Monday’s Board of Education meeting, the first comments since a report by the Maryland Disability Law Center that documented the alleged abuses was made public. Attorneys said nine students in one class at Hickory suffered neglect and that teachers and support staff used “aversive behavior intervention techniques” — including spraying students with water and threatening them with a rolling pin and markers. Autistic students can have adverse reactions to loud noises or strong smells.

Canavan said when the alleged actions were brought to the attention of her and her staff, they notified the Department of Social Services and the Maryland State Department of Education.

Of the alleged abuse, she said “it was not tolerated then ... and won’t be tolerated in the future” and pledged every effort will continue to be made to see that all students “are able to work in a happy and productive place.”