“I Am His Voice”: Kentucky Mom’s Shocking Claims of Abuse Against Nonverbal Autistic Son Spark Investigation Call

A mother from Kentucky has called for an investigation after she alleged that her son, who has autism, was being abused at his elementary school. She said that one of the employees at the school was abusing her nonverbal autistic son. The woman also claimed that the alleged abuse was recorded on camera she hid in her son’s hair.

The mother, who has called for an investigation, has been identified as Tiphanee Lee. “I am his voice, and I will speak for him,” Lee said at a press conference held by Councilwoman Tammy Hawins on May 15, following the abuse incident involving her son. The victim has been identified as Semaj Lee, who attends Field Elementary School in Louisville.

“We trusted his school to protect him, to care for him, and to treat him with dignity. Instead, he was harmed, silenced, and failed by the very people who were supposed to keep him safe,” she said.

Lee’s public statement came after she shared a video of the incident recorded on May 13, according to the reports from Fox affiliate WDRB. For months, Lee and Semja’s father had been receiving complaints about the child’s behavior that did not align with his usual behavior at home, Lee told the audience during the press conference on May 15.

“As a mother, I knew in my heart something was not right,” Lee said. Deciding to take action, she hid a small camera in her son’s hair and she was shocked at what she heard and saw in the recording.

While it is difficult to confirm what physically occurred, video footage obtained by several media outlets showed an employee left in the room with Semji, whose head moved sharply. The staff member can be heard saying, “Get off me now! Get off me now!” There were more noises, followed by the child screaming.

“What I discovered on the camera footage is something no parent should ever see or hear," Lee said at the press conference. “Our child was put in a situation where he was scared, overwhelmed, and powerless.” The parents are demanding a full investigation and for the employee involved to be terminated.

A day after the recording of the incident, a letter was sent out to the families of students who attended the elementary school, according to reports from WLKY.

“I am reaching out to remind you that the safety of our students and staff is always our top priority,” wrote principal Deb Riveria on May 14. “This week, we have received calls and emails from parents and community members regarding a social media post making allegations about a staff member. While I am unable to comment on actions regarding the personnel, I want to assure you that we take these allegations seriously and are reviewing this incident.”