According to various news sources, police in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, have confirmed that a student bitten off a teacher’s thumb last Thursday, April 18th, 2024. The incident happened at Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 Central Education Center in Manheim, a school for students with special needs. Shannan Guthrie, a spokesperson for the school, said letters were sent home with students, and individual phone calls were made to select families.
The letter reads, “We can confirm that there was a student incident at the Central Education Center (Manheim, PA) on the morning of Thursday, April 18, 2024. Staff responded to the situation promptly. Local first responders were called to assist staff with the situation, as per protocol. Due to the age of the student, we are unable to provide any other details.
We have dedicated staff members who work hard every day to serve students. Our number one focus right now is to support the staff and students while we continue ensuring the safety for all. We extend our appreciation to the local first responders and staff for handling the situation with professionalism and care.”
Matthew Stem, the executive director of Intermediate Unit 13, also released a statement. “Our teachers and paraprofessionals are everyday heroes who work with children with very significant needs, “ said Stem.
There is no other information on the incident available through news outlets, so I asked my followers for details. Here is what they provided:
“I live and teach near this school. The IU schools are for kids with significant disabilities and issues. I have a friend who used to work there. It was always a lot of biting and hitting. He had some scary stories, but the kids are dealing with severe disabilities, and in a lot of cases, they act kind of primal. I’m not sure that’s the right word. Those teachers have a huge heart to deal with that every day.”
“The victim was a teacher’s aide, barely getting paid $15 an hour. The kid bit it off to the knuckle and spit it out, according to a teacher who heard the scream. The teacher passed out.”
‘I work near the school. It is a legitimate story that students witnessed, yet it is getting very little coverage. The school is typically a placement for students with extreme emotional disturbances, and it also serves as autism support. It is essentially a hub for several kinds of special needs.”
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.