Autistic Boy Voted Out of Kindergarten Gets Even

Survivor has never been more cut throat. Richard Hatch would be proud

We all know kids can be cruel sometimes, but what happened to 5-year old Alex Barton was just plain wrong.

The kindergartener was voted off the island essentially by his classmates last school year and now his mother has filed a lawsuit against his school, school board, teacher and pretty much anyone else whose name could fit on the piece of paper.

The complaint submitted Thursday in federal court alleges Barton suffered irreparable damage when he was booted out of his Port St. Lucie classroom.

The boy’s teacher, Wendy Portillo, put Barton’s fate in the hands of classmates after he was repeatedly disruptive in class. The “Survivor”-style vote ended with Barton marooned.

The class voted 14-2 to give him the boot.

Melissa Barton said that on May 21, 2008, her son Alex was "forced to stand in front of his peers and be told why 'they hated him,' with such comments as [Alex] is 'disgusting' and 'annoying,' 'He eats crayons,' 'Lies on the floor,' 'He eats paper' and 'He
eats his boogers."'

Barton didn't return to the class and finished the year in homeschooling, and has since been diagnosed with a form of autism called Asperger's syndrome, which may have caused his behavior.

The school board initially suspended Portillo one year and stripped her tenure, but reversed itself in June.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us