'I have to fight this fight': Parents sue Barberton Head Start over abuse allegations
The parents of a Coventry Township third grade student are suing Barberton Head Start, Akron Summit Community Action and employees of the two organizations for a 2019 incident involving their son.
Joseph and Bambi Stone are alleging in the lawsuit, filed this month, that their son was physically abused and suffered emotional distress that continues more than four years after the incident. The lawsuit also alleges employees misrepresented what had occurred in the incident.
Bambi Stone said in a recent interview that she and her son continue to receive counseling related to the Dec. 3, 2019, incident.
"We want these people to be held accountable for the choices they made," she said.
What happened at the Barberton Head Start?
The lawsuit, filed in Summit County Common Pleas Court, alleges that the Stones' son was choked, pushed and thrown to the ground at the Barberton Head Start on State Street near the Belgrade Gardens restaurant.
The lawsuit states that Joseph Stone was told on the afternoon of the incident that an altercation occurred between his then 5-year-old son and a substitute teacher. He was told that school employees were able to get the situation under control.
But the lawsuit alleges an emerging picture of a more serious confrontation between the child and substitute, with employees at the center failing to provide key details.
According to the lawsuit, Barberton Head Start's school director at the time told Bambi Stone a video of the incident showed no foul play and that her son was not harmed or choked.
Mother asked not to report incident, says lawsuit
Bambi Stone said she spoke with the school director and requested to see video of the incident, but was told such footage was deleted after 24 hours.
"In no way did anybody put their hands on your son," she said the director told her.
On Dec. 5, 2019, two days after the incident, she contacted the site director and was told the matter would be investigated. In a follow-up call Dec. 6, Stone was told more time was needed to review the matter and was asked not to call the police, the lawsuit alleges.
She was told on Dec. 10 that the matter had been reviewed and her child had not been shoved or harmed, the lawsuit alleges. The substitute, however, had not followed procedure and a reprimand had been recommended, she was told.
Parents file police report
Stone did file a police report and was able to obtain video of the incident. It showed a confrontation between her son and the substitute that she said exceeded what she had been told.
Barberton Municipal Court records show that the substitute teacher was found guilty of attempted child endangering stemming from the incident and agreed to refrain from working with children or the elderly. She died in January 2022.
The civil lawsuit alleges that Head Start officials were not fully forthright in their description of what took place and failed to report the incident to proper authorities.
In all, the lawsuit seeks damages on 10 counts, including assault, negligence and failure to report child abuse or neglect.
'Still having a lot of trust issues'
Stone said she removed her son from Barberton Head Start after the incident for fear of what might happen to him and because of his reluctance to return.
"He is still having a lot of trust issues at school," she said. "… He's afraid to disappoint somebody and afraid to tell someone 'no.'"
Head Start, ASCCA deny wrongdoing
Edward L. Gilbert, attorney for both Akron Summit County Community Action and Barberton Head Start, said Tuesday that both organizations deny any wrongdoing.
Akron Summit County Community Action is a prominent social services agency operating since 1964 with a stated mission of reducing poverty and promoting self-sufficiency.
It funds Head Start, Energy Assistance and Mortgage Assistance programs in the Akron area and reported $31 million in grants and contributions in 2021. It employs more than 250 individuals.
Its board features leaders from local government and industry, including three local judges.
"We strongly feel we did nothing wrong in this matter," Gilbert said. "Beyond that, we do not comment on pending litigation."
Gilbert said he plans a vigorous defense.
'I'm his only advocate'
Stone said her husband left his job to fill the gap left by the loss of the Head Start program and watch the couple's three children.
"We live paycheck to paycheck," she said. "Now, we struggle every day. It's awful and it's hard."
She said she hopes parents familiar with her situation will learn that they have a right to expect answers in similar situations, including video.
"I have to fight this fight because I'm his mom," she said. "I'm his only advocate — me and his dad."
Joseph Stone said Tuesday that if he and his wife hadn't pursued answers to what happened that day four years ago, they would never have known the extent of the incident.
"How many others out there just took the school's word for it?" he said. "… Who's to say our son's not the only one?"
Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Coventry parents sue Barberton Head Start over 2019 incident
