The SMMUSD ignores allegations that Jennifer Becker, Cabrillo ES special education teacher, abused children, and impugns the credibility of its own employees

Michael Chwe, michael@chwe.net
Return to smmusdsafety.org

On November 3, 2011, four parents of students in the special education class at Cabrillo Elementary School, Christina Ficeto, Vicki Dyson-Williams, Rolando Verganza, and Sabina Hack, appeared at the SMMUSD board meeting at Malibu City Hall.  In a statement (right) read by Christina Ficeto, the four parents stated that Jennifer Becker, the special education teacher at Cabrillo Elementary School, had abused their children.  Appearing with the four parents was Melissa Winder, one of the teacher's aides in the special education classroom who witnessed Ms. Becker's actions.  A newspaper article about the four parents' allegations is on the right.

According to Ms. Ficeto's statement, Ms. Becker stood over a 9-year-old girl, who is immobile and in full leg braces, while she was on the toilet, and very loudly demanded that she go to the bathroom.  The girl screamed for help, and Ms. Becker left her on the toilet for over 20 minutes while the girl, distraught and panicking, continuted to cry for help.  According to her mother, the girl is now afraid to go in the bathroom at all.  Also, Ms. Becker has pulled the girl by her underwear and shirt to make her walk. 

In her statement, Ms. Ficeto states that Ms. Becker has used her body to restrain students, just to make them sit at a table, or finish circle time, greatly scaring and panicking the students.  Ms. Becker has aggressively pulled children's arms, has restrained a child by squeezing her head, and strapped a boy down to a chair.  This boy was left physically restrained when circle time was over and was not released until the teacher's aide returned from break.

The teacher's aides, after unsuccessfully appealing for several weeks to Principal Barry Yates, SMMUSD special education coordinator Bekah Dannelly, and SMMUSD special education director Sara Woolverton, informed the parents of Ms. Becker's actions on October 22, 2011.  According to Ms. Ficeto, four teacher's aides are willing to speak out about Ms. Becker's actions.  The Los Angeles County Special Victims Bureau, part of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, is currently investigating. 

Under California Penal Code 11165.7, school personnel, from teacher's aides to teachers to administrators, are mandated reporters and are legally obligated to report child abuse.  No one reported Ms. Becker's actions to the police until the parents reported it themselves.

Many of the children in the special education classroom cannot speak.  They cannot tell their parents what occurs in the classroom.  The only witnesses to Ms. Becker's actions are the teacher's aides, also district employees.  It is thus especially disturbing that SMMUSD personnel attempted to discredit the teacher's aides and prevent them from talking directly with parents.

Melissa Winder, teacher's aide, has stated that Ms. Becker repeatedly told her to not talk to parents.  Ms. Winder told Ms. Becker that a parent had requested that her daughter,
in full arm and leg braces, be attended at all times.  In response, Ms. Becker "exploded" at her for talking to a parent.  Ms. Winder reports that Bekah Dannelly, SMMUSD special education coordinator, visited the special education classroom to order the teacher's aides to not talk, text, or call the parents of the special education students.

On October 28, 2011, the four parents met with Sara Woolverton, SMMUSD director for special education.  Dr. Woolverton stated that the four teacher's aides were not credible and not trustworthy, and were committing a "mutiny" because Ms. Becker was making them work.  Dr. Woolverton also reported that the SMMUSD investigated only one of the many alleged abuses; Dr. Woolverton refused to respond to any other of the
allegations.  She also said that since no other teachers and staff at Cabrillo Elementary witnessed the abuses, that they did not happen.

These statements, from the SMMUSD director for special education, are unconscionable and show a reckless disregard for child safety.


Santa Monica Daily Press, November 5, 2011.


Statement of Christina Ficeto to SMMUSD board, November 3, 2011