PORT ST. LUCIE - St. Lucie County School District officials removed the Morningside Elementary kindergarten teacher who had students vote last week whether a
5-year-old should be allowed to stay in class from her teaching position pending an investigation.
The incident has gained national attention, and network news organizations have aired reports on the story. Melissa Barton, the mother of 5-year-old Alex Barton, was interviewed live on CBS's The Early Show on Tuesday.
Barton and Port St. Lucie Police Department officials said teacher Wendy Portillo made Alex stand in front of the room while his classmates told him what bothered them about him. Because the class was studying tallies and vote-taking, Portillo then led a class vote as to whether Alex should be allowed to stay in the class.
Alex was voted out, by a 14 to 2 margin. He spent the rest of the day in the nurse's office and was upset when Barton picked him up after school.
Alex hasn't been back to the school since Wednesday, when the vote occurred."He's doing a little better," said Barton on Tuesday.
Barton said Tuesday morning Alex was officially diagnosed with an autism-spectrum disorder and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. He is not in school, but he misses the one friend he made in the classroom since he moved to the school in January, she said.
Read Full Story
Watch CBS The Morning Show video interview of the mother
Another video interview and news report
The incident has gained national attention, and network news organizations have aired reports on the story. Melissa Barton, the mother of 5-year-old Alex Barton, was interviewed live on CBS's The Early Show on Tuesday.
Barton and Port St. Lucie Police Department officials said teacher Wendy Portillo made Alex stand in front of the room while his classmates told him what bothered them about him. Because the class was studying tallies and vote-taking, Portillo then led a class vote as to whether Alex should be allowed to stay in the class.
Alex was voted out, by a 14 to 2 margin. He spent the rest of the day in the nurse's office and was upset when Barton picked him up after school.
Alex hasn't been back to the school since Wednesday, when the vote occurred."He's doing a little better," said Barton on Tuesday.
Barton said Tuesday morning Alex was officially diagnosed with an autism-spectrum disorder and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. He is not in school, but he misses the one friend he made in the classroom since he moved to the school in January, she said.
Read Full Story
Watch CBS The Morning Show video interview of the mother
Another video interview and news report
