Picture Credit: Video screen-capture
Big Island special education teacher arrested for allegedly choking a student
News Source: Khon2
HONOLULU (KHON2) – David Alipio, a special education teacher at Keaau Elementary School on the Big Island, was arrested for allegedly assaulting his student, 12-year-old Dashay Souza Nascimento. The incident, which occurred during a field trip, involved Alipio allegedly choking Dashay and throwing him against a fence, causing visible bruises on Dashay’s neck.
Dashay, who has autism and other learning disabilities, has been deeply affected by the incident, experiencing nightmares and sleep disturbances since then. Despite Dashay’s challenging behavior, his mother, Serena Nascimento, was shocked by the teacher’s actions and expressed concern for her son’s well-being.
The incident was reported by a witness who saw Alipio’s alleged assault on Dashay. Dashay’s therapist recorded a video later that day, in which Dashay described the teacher kicking his legs from under him and pulling him back up by his jacket.
Alipio was arrested and charged with third-degree assault. The family has hired attorney Jeffrey Foster to file a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights for the U.S. Dept. Of Education, seeking a federal investigation to improve recognition and protection of students with disabilities.
The State Department of Education has placed Alipio on department-directed leave, while an aide assigned to Dashay during school hours, who reportedly did not intervene during the incident, has not been similarly disciplined. The family is seeking justice for Dashay and hoping for improvements in the education system to prevent similar incidents in the future.
