A family in Bensonhurst spent the past month nursing a nasty head wound their 14-year-old son with Cerebral Palsey mysteriously suffered last December on his way to school -- and the incident could lead to a new law to protect how special needs kids get to class each day.
Patti and David Logan say they put their special needs child, Andrew, on the school bus the morning of December 16th - as they normally would. When he arrived at school a teacher took him out of his wheel chair and, according to the family, blood gushed everywhere. He had a one inch gash in the back of his head.
"We saw the gash," said Andrew's mother Patti Logan, "and that's the only way to describe it ... it was an open gash. It was bleeding ... it was just the scariest thing. How could that have happened?"
The answer to that question wasn't simple. Andrew's Cerebral Palsey prevents him from being able to talk. His parents are convinced it didn't happen at school because they say there was simply no opportunity and they've known and trusted the staff at school for years.
They believe Andrew was injured on the school bus and that the bus matrons are to blame. The matron's have reportedly denied any wrong doing. But the Logan's believe there's no other possibility.
"Even if his head hit the side of the chair, if his head lobbed ... it's all padded."
Andrew's father, David Logan, can't help but get emotional when he considers what must have happened,
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"He's got straps across his chest so he can't move forward ... so to get an injury back here somebody has to like move his head forward and smack in on the back of his head or to hit him with something ... to cause that kind of a gash and for that much blood it had to be a tremendous blow ... .. it just ... excuse me ... it really is a parent's worst nightmare."
Andrew was rushed to the hospital and received three staples. He's doing much better now, but the Logans still weren't comfortable sending Andrew back to school. The Department of Education launched an investigation, but they stopped short of suspending the matrons. The Logans didn't feel their son was safe.
News 4 New York called the DOE and within days they guaranteed the Logans a new bus company with new matrons would take Andrew to and from school. But those other matrons are still watching someone else's children. The Logan's have another daughter with Cerebral Palsey and they say allowing those woman around other children is unacceptable.
The DOE says safety is their priority but the haven't yet uncovered enough evidence in this case to suspend the matrons.
In the meantime, the Logans have approached City Councilman Vincent Gentile to start brainstorming a new law that would require all special needs school buses to be equipped with cameras.
"They're taking care of the most precious things you have ... you know you let your child go out of the house every day and you just hope to god that they're safe ... until you see them again ... because you don't know what could happen."
