More fallout at School for the Deaf

More fallout at School for the Deaf

Posted: May 21, 2009 04:45 PM CDT

Updated: May 21, 2009 04:45 PM CDT

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By Paul Gates - bio | email

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -The fallout continues at the Louisiana School for the Deaf Thursday night. The school ran into some tough times after several alleged cases of sexual abuse involving staff and students. After being shut down for about a month class is back in session. But many students and parent say it's no longer a school but a boot camp.

Randal Pippins, president of the Louisiana Association for the Deaf believes things are not going well at the deaf school. He says students have been carrying, wearing and planting small black flags as a quiet campus protest to current conditions. "Human rights for these deaf children at the deaf school are in jeopardy and the staff as well, but mostly the children."

Kids at the deaf school can't leave campus for a snack or drink from local stores like they used to do. The boys are separated from the girls in the dining hall. 170 surveillence cameras show security guards where students are and what they are doing. "It feels like in the past the school has changed from it's former status to a jail." We're told if one student needs a bathroom break all students in that class have to go too whether they need a break or not. "The class can't be left alone so the whole class has to go, and once they go to the bathroom a few can't go in at once. One has to go in at a time."

We asked state superintendent Paul Pastorek about increased restrictions at the deaf school. It was he who called all the shots when he closed things down. "For the time being I think you are going to see the restrictions we put in place, that are going to have to stay in place." Pastorek told us about an advisory group he's planning for this summer. "So I can work more closely with the deaf community, the parents and the students to talk about changes we can make. I'm prepared to make changes."

Counselor Rogers is soon leaving the deaf school for career stakes. She's not really happy about leaving. "I feel a lot of anger and so many questions. Everyone was wondering why we closed. There have been so many incidents at other schools and they didn't take extreme measures as they did at our school."

Deaf school employees are also worried about layoffs required by a 1.2 million dollar cut to the school's budget. Thursday the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted unanimously to approve Pastorek's motion for the cut. 31 employees would need to be cut to match the 1.2 million dollar hole.