Former Riverside University High School paraprofessional Demitrios Visvardis has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge accusing him of striking an 18-year-old student with disabilities in a school hallway, a case that has put fresh scrutiny on how Milwaukee Public Schools hires and oversees classroom aides.
Plea, Bond and What Comes Next
Yesterday, Visvardis entered his not guilty plea in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, where Judge David Borowski set a $1,000 personal-recognizance bond and ordered him to have no contact with the student, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The court scheduled a deferred-prosecution agreement hearing for Feb. 23, the outlet reports.
Under Wisconsin law, the single battery count carries potential penalties of up to nine months in jail and a $10,000 fine, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Hallway Confrontation and the Student at the Center
Milwaukee police say the alleged battery happened Nov. 12 in a hallway at Riverside University High School and that officers arrested a 39-year-old paraprofessional the following day, according to WISN. The student, identified by her family as 18-year-old Shrone Dunn, is mostly nonverbal and lives with cerebral palsy and scoliosis, the outlet reports.
Family members told reporters Dunn began experiencing panic attacks after the incident and said they reviewed school security footage that they say shows the aide slapping their daughter, WISN reports.
District Response and Parents’ Legal Plans
Milwaukee Public Schools notified families that it was investigating the incident, said the staff member is no longer working at Riverside and offered counseling to students and staff who may have been affected, according to a letter cited by CBS 58.
Dunn’s parents have said they hired attorney Verona Swanigan and plan to sue the district, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Other Cases Raise Oversight Questions
The Riverside case follows a series of other incidents involving MPS paraprofessionals. Earlier this year, aides at Ralph H. Metcalfe and Grantosa Drive schools were arrested and charged with felony child abuse, according to FOX6. Those cases have fueled criticism from parents and advocates who are pressing the district to explain how paraprofessionals are screened, trained and supervised.
The district points to its stated hiring rules for paraprofessionals. Milwaukee Public Schools’ hiring page says candidates must have at least 48 college credits or pass a district assessment and must apply for a Special Education Program Aide license; see Milwaukee Public Schools.
Visvardis has denied the allegation when questioned after his November arrest and remains free on his personal-recognizance bond while the case moves forward, WISN reported. Prosecutors are expected to revisit the case at the Feb. 23 hearing to decide whether to continue pursuing the charge or seek a deferred-prosecution agreement.
