A Texas elementary teacher has been arrested for allegedly using an electronic dog whistle to control a 6-year-old autistic student who “would come home and cry” about how painful it was.
Amber Escamilla, 46, is accused of using the whistle on the child at Bell’s Hill Elementary School in Waco “when he got overstimulated,” according to an arrest report obtained by KWTX.
She was arrested Tuesday and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of causing injury to a child or disabled person, a third-degree felony, the outlet said.
The young boy’s parents told cops that their son wore earmuffs at school because he is sensitive to sounds — and “would come home and cry” about what he thought were fire alarms hurting his ears, the affidavit said.
When detectives went to the school last week, the principal told them she had in November confiscated an electronic dog whistle from Escamilla, a 10-year teaching veteran who had only recently started at the school.
Another staffer told cops that around the same time, Escamilla “came into the break room and placed a device on the table, telling co-workers that she had this for when the victim ‘gets loud,’” the affidavit said.
The teacher told colleagues that “when she clicks it, [the autistic student] stops,” the arrest documents said.
When interviewed, Escamilla allegedly admitted to using the whistle “for the purpose of outside playground use, using it only one time on the playground.”
“The defendant advised that she would only exhibit the whistle to the victim as a threat to gain compliance,” the affidavit stated.
However, an unidentified witness told cops that she saw the teacher using the whistle on the boy in her classroom, the report said.
“The witness observed the child covering his ears and pleading for the [teacher] to stop,” the affidavit stated.
The teacher used the whistle a second time, with the boy “responding in the same way,” the witness told detectives.
“The witness advised that the child is sensitive to sound and was visibly in pain from the defendant using the whistle.”
Escamilla, who was employed by the Waco Independent School District for less than a year, did not have her contract renewed, a spokesperson said.
“The actions under review do not reflect the values or expectations we hold for our staff,” spokesperson Wendy Sledd told KWTX.
“Waco ISD remains committed to fostering a safe and supportive environment for all students,” she said, adding that “district staff are cooperating fully with the investigation.”
