The case of Brendan Depa, an autistic Florida teenager who brutally beat his teacher’s aid over a video game, has sparked a legal battle against the school district. Depa’s attorneys claim that the school failed to address Depa’s needs, leading to the violent attack that left the teacher’s aid with severe injuries. The district did not immediately respond to the allegations made in the petition, which seeks to hold the district accountable for the failures that impacted Depa’s life.
Depa’s history of aggression, stemming from his diagnosed emotional behavioral disorder, intermittent explosive disorder, mood disorder, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorder, is detailed in the petition. Despite being eligible for an individualized education plan and connected with a behavior analyst, Depa’s aggressive and violent behavior went unpunished by the school. The lack of intervention and consequences for his actions ultimately led to the violent attack on the teacher’s aid.
The petition also alleges that the teacher’s aid played a role in her own assault by escalating a verbal fight with Depa in the classroom. After threatening to take away Depa’s Nintendo Switch, a known trigger for him, he spat on her and followed her to launch the attack. The attorneys claim that the school’s failure to address these escalating issues in real-time ultimately led to the violent confrontation between Depa and the teacher’s aid.
Depa’s legal team is seeking compensatory education and payment for his placement in a behavioral therapeutic school for students with severe disorders. They also claim that the district failed to provide education to Depa while he was behind bars. The teenager is facing up to 30 years in prison for the attack and is due in court for sentencing. Despite the severity of the attack, the teacher’s aid has publicly supported a significant punishment for Depa, highlighting the impact of the incident on her life.
The petition emphasizes that the district had a responsibility to intervene and address Depa’s behavior before it escalated to violence. By failing to provide appropriate consequences and support for the teenager, the school allowed the situation to escalate to a point where a serious assault occurred. Had the issues been addressed in real-time, the violent incident may have been prevented, preventing harm to the teacher’s aid and potential incarceration for Depa. The legal battle between Depa’s team and the school district highlights the complexities of addressing the needs of students with severe behavioral disorders within the educational system.