Autistic Student's Mother Plans on Addressing School Board

A Kentucky woman who has accused a Mercer County school teacher of putting her autistic son into a bag as punishment plans to address the school board next month.Sandra Baker was called to the Mercer County Intermediate School a couple weeks ago after her 9-year-old autistic son was misbehaving. She said she found him in a bag meant for therapeutic purposes, but the staff was instead using the bag as punishment. This week, Baker said her son has been unusually quiet since the incident.The story gained national recognition and an online petition was created on website Change.org. Lydia Brown is the 18-year-old autistic Georgetown University freshman behind the petition, which calls for the teacher involved to be fired and asks that all future and current staff be trained in interacting and educating students with disabilities.Baker said she will present the board with the online petition, which now has over 120,000 signatures. The next school board meeting is scheduled for Jan. 19.