The parents of children with autism who were abused by a former Poudre School District paraprofessional have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the district should have never hired him. Tyler Zanella, the former paraprofessional, was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison for assaulting non-verbal children on school buses, including the Montgomery’s son, Ashton. The lawsuit accuses the district of hiring Zanella despite knowing about his criminal history and failing to intervene when incidents of assault and bullying were reported.
Attorney David Lane, representing the families, criticized the school district for their actions and is pushing for the court to unseal the school bus videos showing the abuse. The Poudre School District responded by stating that they take the safety of their students seriously and will respond to the lawsuit accordingly.
The Montgomery family and another family have filed the lawsuit against the Poudre School District, along with four named employees and five unnamed employees. The Montgomerys have vowed to be Ashton’s voice and push for accountability in the wake of this traumatic experience. This case highlights the importance of thorough background checks and proper oversight when hiring individuals to work with vulnerable children.
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