The Brief
• Debra Hawkes says Madison East High School staff gave her 15-year-old autistic, non-verbal son Jaden dog food instead of school lunch
• School staff reportedly called to confirm the incident and sent a photo
• The staff member allegedly involved has been fired, according to the mother, while the Madison School District investigates
MADISON, Wis. — A Madison mother is demanding accountability after she says staff at Madison East High School fed her autistic son dog food instead of a school lunch.
Debra Hawkes says her 15-year-old son Jaden, a freshman who has autism and is non-verbal, was given a can of wet Nutrish dog food by a staff member a few weeks ago.
“I don’t feel like my son is safe at school. And you can’t be safe in school. Where could he be safe at?” Hawkes said.
School staff sent Hawkes a photo showing that Jaden had eaten part of the dog food.
“He looked like he ate a little bit of salt and at least three, 4 or 5 bites,” Hawkes said, describing what she saw in the photo.
Staff also called Debra to confirm that a staff member had given Jaden dog food, she said.
Hawkes says she does not know how the dog food ended up at the school or why it was given to her son.
She questions how such an incident could happen accidentally.
“And then when you give it to them, you give a autistic a can, a can!? that we could cut himself with yourself with.” “Then, a plastic fork, and you might as well gave him a metal fork if you gone give him a metal can. How is that an accident? That’s what I want to know,” she said.
The mother says the incident has affected her son’s behavior and mood.
“Jaden hasn’t been himself,” Hawkes said, noting that her son is usually nice and energetic.
According to Hawkes, she visited East High School every day for roughly a week wanting answers about what happened to her son.
On Thursday, Debra said the person who gave Jaden the dog food had been fired.
“He don’t need to work with kids no more. He don’t need to work with nobody that is dependent, [anyone] that needs somebody to depend on him. He don’t need to work with nobody else no more,” Hawkes said.
News 3 Now cannot share the staff member’s name since the Madison School District has not confirmed that person’s involvement in the incident.
Hawkes says this situation hurt her family.
When asked how she feels when looking at the photo of her son with the dog food, Hawkes said, “My heart hurt, my heart is broke. I feel like more like I don’t got no control over what happens to my own kid.”
Hawkes says she wants the staff members involved to understand the impact their actions had on her family.
“It can’t be an accident,” she said.
The Madison School District said they cannot comment on specific students or employees due to privacy concerns but confirmed they are investigating the situation.
In a statement, the district said in part, “We take all safety-related concerns extremely seriously, and this is no exception. We will determine next steps following the outcome of our investigation.”