Amber Buck of Berkeley County, West Virginia became concerned when her 6-year-old daughter, Adri, began showing signs of anxiety after attending Berkeley Heights Elementary School. Since Adri is aloof and non-verbal, it was impossible for Amber to tell what was going on when she wasn’t around.
What was really worrying for Amber was when Adri comes home at the end of the school day with bruises. Amber took the bold step of hiding a tape recorder in Adri’s hair. What I heard later that day was truly terrifying.
Amber’s lawyer, Ben Salango, said the recording proved that the teacher and two of his assistants verbally assaulted Adri as well as the other students. Some of the sad things that were recorded included teachers threatening to deny students food while saying they should be with the back of their teeth, according to People magazine.
Amber said she was so upset by her discovery that she couldn’t eat for three days. I took the tapes to the local police and had a meeting with the director.
— Scott Taylor 7 News I-Team (@ScottTaylorTV) August 16, 2019
The teachers denied saying awful things to the students and instead said that in fact they were only talking to each other.
Although the Assistant Superintendent asked Amber to destroy the tapes, the brave mother continued her fight to bring attention to the situation.
Rather than bury the story, Amber took to social media to post the recordings. Within 24 hours, more than 10 million people heard the sound.
Shortly after the recordings became public, the attorney general filed a civil suit against the teachers.
A few months later, the trial was expanded to also include Administrator Amber Buckman and Deputy Berkeley County Administrator Margaret F. Corse for their role in obstructing the investigation by concealing evidence.
Luckily, Adri’s journey ends well for the little girl. She is now in a new school and thriving in a loving and supportive environment.
