Teacher who discriminated against autistic child appeals suspension

By Melissa Barton,

My son Alex Barton was voted out of kindergarten because he has Aspergers Syndrome. His teacher Wendy Portillo was suspended for one year. YET< Monday she fights her suspension in FT Pierce FL. I need your help to prevent this monster from ever teaching again. Please read the article.

Alex Barton teacher’s suspension appeal to be heard Monday in Fort Pierce

From TC Palm, Palm Beach County, FL

FORT PIERCE — Morningside Elementary teacher Wendy Portillo, who got worldwide attention after she led her kindergarten students to vote out classmate Alex Barton, will be heard Monday morning as she appeals her one-year unpaid suspension. Portillo got the suspension after a lengthy St. Lucie County Schools investigation into the incident. Alex was 5 years old last May when he was voted out by classmates. He was in the process of being diagnosed with a type of autism.

St. Lucie County Schools Superintendent Michael Lannon said Portillo’s appeal has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday at Fort Pierce City Hall.

According to police reports, Portillo brought Alex to the front of his kindergarten classroom and asked other students to tell him how his behavior affected them. Alex had left the class twice that day for discipline referrals. Portillo then asked the class to vote on whether Alex should stay in the class. Alex lost the vote. He went back to the office, where he spent the rest of the day.

In November, St. Lucie County School Board unanimously approved Lannon’s recommendation to suspend Portillo for one year without pay and return her to an annual contract. Lannon also planned to ask the state Board of Education to revoke her teaching certificate for one year.

Portillo’s attorney, David Walker of Stuart, said he had no comment. Alex’s mother, Melissa Barton, said she planned to attend the hearing.

“(Portillo) should not be allowed to work with kids,” Barton said.

Barton has said she thought Portillo should be fired for what happened.

“She’s not the victim here, Alex is,” she said. “This is because of what she did to him. I trusted her to teach him and not abuse him.”

Alex, now 6, is still in therapy over what happened, she said. He has since been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, a type of high-functioning autism.