Image Credit: Montgomery County Sheriff’s Dept & Oak Plains Academy
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
A staff member at a residential treatment facility in Ashland City, Tennessee, has been arrested after he threw a 10-year-old across the room during an argument.
William Sturgill, who worked for Oak Plains Academy at the time of the incident in May, became involved in a dispute with the child who is autistic. When the argument escalated, Sturgill chose to grab the boy by his left ankle and subsequently hurled him across the room.
On August 6th, Sturgill was arrested and charged with one count of child abuse or endangerment.
According to the boy’s mother, her son was admitted to Oak Plains in February for issues related to disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD), autism, and ADHD.
The website for the facility states that their residential program serves youth as young as 7, and up to 17-years-old who have neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, ADHD, and some intellectual developmental disabilities.
According to their website, Oak Plains teaches “adaptive coping skills and increasing social skills that help assist the individual in maintaining their place in the community” and they provide a “trauma-informed approach.”
Sturgill failed to demonstrate this approach with the child that he assaulted.
The boy told his mother that the argument began over a blanket.
Instead of using deescalating tactics, Sturgill began screaming at the child who ran from him and into a bathroom where Sturgill followed. The boy then ran back into the dayroom, still pursued by Sturgill who caught up to him and threw him onto the couch.
When the boy stood up to defend himself, he was shoved back onto the couch again, and then kicked Sturgill between the legs. Sturgill responded by grabbing the child by the ankles and pulled him off the couch so fast that he hit his head hard on the floor. According to the arrest warrant, the boy’s left wrist and shoulder were also injured.
Another staff member not only witnessed the incident but captured it on video which led to Sturgill being terminated a few days later. The boy’s mother then contacted Clarksville Police.
All residents at Oak Plains are provided with individual treatment plans which are based upon a neurobehavioral assessment. The assessment includes functional behavioral analysis, psychosocial assessment, and also a psychiatric assessment.
While in the care of Oak Plains, youth receive psychiatric monitoring and treatment, medical monitoring around the clock, and counseling, among other services.
The boy’s mother said that before the assault, her son was making progress, but suffered a set back after the incident.
Sturgill is set to appear in the Montgomery County Court on December 15th.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
