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Pensacola News Journal
Pensacola, Florida (PNJ) -- A judge on Wednesday ordered an autistic student, accused of hitting a speech therapist in the head with a set of headphones, to undergo an evaluation to see if he is competent to stand trial.
But the teenager's mother, Kathy Pack, 51, said the legal process that her son is going through is a waste of time and money. She said her son's developmental disorder makes him incompetent to stand trial.
"We have paperwork to prove that he is autistic," she said. "He is in classes because he is autistic."
Conner Brown, 13, pleaded not guilty to a charge of battery on a public or private education employee during an arraignment hearing before Circuit Judge Ross Goodman. Brown's next court appearance is March 6.
The charge against Brown is a result of a complaint filed by Kathy Roupe, 57, a speech therapist.
Roupe said she was hit Dec. 6 while doing a speech activity with five students at Ferry Pass Middle School, according to an Escambia County Sheriff's Office report.
"I was struck with so much force it felt like my skull cracked," Roupe told a deputy.
Roupe could not be reached Wednesday for comment.
Brown appeared in court with his mother and his mother's husband, Charles Markin, 51.
"Anyone who deals with autistic children or special-needs children knows they are subject to mood swings, erratic behavior," Markin said after the arraignment. "Unfortunately, it's part of the deal when dealing with a child like this. You may get hit. It's unfortunate, but it's true."
Pack said she has pulled her son and his brother, Michael Adam Brown, 14, who has a learning disability, out of Ferry Pass Middle School as a result of what happened.
Pack and Markin said they will decide before Friday whether the brothers will return to the school. They said they are considering letting Michael return and finding another school for Conner.
Pack said the type of behavior that her son displayed Dec. 6 is not typical for him. She said when he misbehaves in that manner, something triggers it.
Pack said her son told her he was throwing the headphones at another student who was annoying him with loud noises, a stimulus that triggers Conner's autism symptoms.
Pack said there needs to be another way to deal with autistic children other than the legal system. She said she hopes what her son is going through leads to some awareness.
"Running them through the court system is not going to solve anything," she said.
Thyrie Bland, Pensacola News Journal
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