An 11-year-old autistic child suffered brain death after allegedly being ‘imprisoned” in his own classroom, with his heartbroken mother claiming staff ‘watched and did nothing’ to help as he smashed his head against the floor
Joshua Sikes was just 11 years old when he died (Image: )
A devastated mother has filed a lawsuit after her autistic son fatally smashed his own head against the ground while left in a “makeshift classroom prison”.
Joshua Sikes, 11, died in his sleep in November 2024, after “suffering brain death from the head trauma that happened in the classroom”. The child reportedly cried out, “I miss my mummy”, while “imprisoned” in a “prison” built using bookcases, bookshelves, and “heavy-duty” straps intended to restrict pupils’ movement.
In her suit, filed against special education provider Southeastern Cooperative Educational Programs (SECEP), mother Julie Xirau alleged that while “restrained and secluded,” Joshua lay down and began kicking and “striking his head on the floor”. It’s also been alleged that, as the hours passed, SECEP employees “watched and did nothing” to assist the boy.
His mother alleges the boy was injured after being left in a ‘makeshift classroom prison’(Image: )
Shortly after 2pm that day, October 31, 2024, Julie was called and informed that Joshua had been misbehaving and needed to be collected from school. Trusting staff, Julie, from Virginia Beach, in the US state of Virginia, told Joshua he wouldn’t be allowed to go trick-or-treating, leaving him “devastated”. Sadly, due to his limited verbal skills, Joshua was unable to express “the truth about the horrific way he was treated,” as per the complaint. At this point, Julie also says that she had no idea that her son had been injured.
According to the lawsuit, “No one told her about what happened and what they did. The following day, November 1, 2024, Joshua was increasingly lethargic and withdrawn. Julie and Joshua’s caretaker monitored him throughout the day, which was a day off from school. As Joshua’s condition worsened over Nov. 1 and into Nov. 2, Julie became concerned and took Joshua to the emergency room for an examination.”