Former Teacher and Student Testifies in Alleged Autistic Abuse at Valley View

By Bill Hetherman

City News Service

An autistic child who was allegedly physically and verbally mistreated by a behavioral aide was often disruptive in class and had to be coaxed to do his work, his former fourth-grade teacher testified today in a civil case brought by the boy's mother.

Former teacher Jennifer Hjelm told a Los Angeles Superior Court jury that Evan Adger had trouble getting along with aide William "Billy" Walsh during the second semester of the 2009-10 year, as well and with a woman who served in the same capacity in the fall.

However, the boy was progressing under Walsh and the child's production was about 25 percent better under his supervision, Hjelm testified.

"I just remember him getting more work done with Billy working with him than the other woman," Hjelm said.

Elizabeth Adger filed a negligent supervision lawsuit on her son's behalf in February 2011, naming the school district and Inclusive Education and Community Partnership. She alleges the abuses happened in January and February 2010, while her son attended Valley View Elementary School, a public school that caters to predominantly Studio City and Hollywood Hills residents located in the Cahuenga Pass.

The complaint alleges that both the LAUSD and IECP, which hired Walsh and assigned him to Valley View Elementary, failed to properly supervise the 28- year-old employee, and that Evan suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his alleged mistreatment.

Robin Randall, parent of another autistic boy, testified Monday that on Feb. 26, 2010, she saw Walsh berating Evan, then 10 years old, in a school hallway near the library and later in the child's classroom. She said she also saw Walsh hit the boy on one hand with the lid of a pencil box in the classroom.

But Hjelm said that while Walsh would occasionally raise his voice at Evan in frustration over the boy not completing his school work, she never saw him hit the student.

Asked by LAUSD attorney Jason Booth what she would have done if she witnessed Walsh physically abusing Evan, Hjelm replied, "I would have gone and talked to the principal."

Hjelm said that on the day of the alleged pencil box incident, she overheard part of the exchange between Walsh and Evan.

"I overheard commotion, but it was nothing out of the ordinary," Hjelm testified.

She said she was not in the classroom when Walsh is alleged to have hit Evan with the pencil box lid. But she said she recalled Randall walking into the classroom and emerging with the boy seconds later.

Booth said Los Angeles police investigated the pencil box incident and did not find even a scratch on the boy's hand.

Lawyer Margaret Holm, on behalf of IECP, has said the company did a thorough background check on Walsh before hiring him.