Devastating
Israeli Kindergarten Staff Humiliate Special-Needs Child
A shocking incident at a special education kindergarten, where the caregiving staff attached a warning letter to his a special needs child's parents: "Please ensure diapers, wipes, and change of clothes" • The municipality strongly condemned the case: "We view this with great severity"
A special-education kindergarten in Tel Aviv is under fire after staff allegedly turned a child with special needs into a human billboard by stapling a note to his shirt demanding supplies from his parents, in an incident city officials condemned as a severe breach of standards.
The boy, identified as Ari and diagnosed on the autism spectrum with 188% disability, had a letter attached to his clothing with over 10 staples reading: "To Ari's parents, please ensure tomorrow his basic needs, diapers, wipes, and change of clothes, thank you." Similar notes were affixed to his bag and diaper, leaving marks on his body, according to his family's lawyer.
The kindergarten, operated by the ultra-Orthodox group Agudat Yisrael, prompted a sharp rebuke from Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality: "We view this unusual incident with great severity, as it does not meet expected professional and ethical standards."
Officials are coordinating with Israel's Education Ministry to investigate and ensure accountability.
Ari's parents, represented by attorney Meir Hugi, described the act as "serious and humiliating," amounting to abuse and defamation of a helpless minor. "The education system must internalize that a child is not a bulletin board," Hugi said, vowing legal action to prevent future incidents.
Knesset member Keti Sheetrit, chair of the Committee for Children's Rights, demanded disciplinary measures against the staff and called for a committee hearing on issues in special-education facilities.
Knesset member Debi Biton, chair of the parliamentary lobby for the rights of people with disabilities and a member of the centrist Yesh Atid party, wrote:
"This is a child with special needs, a child who came back from kindergarten with a sign on his body . A note attached to his small body as if he were an object, not a person. He didn't choose this. He's not to blame. And he certainly shouldn't pay the price of public humiliation."
Biton questioned the staff's judgment, asking, "Where did the audacity come from? Haven't you heard of a notebook? A phone?" She decried the broader implications: "How did we get to a situation where they label a child, thinking it's allowed to 'convey a message' through his body? First of all, be human beings. Humane. With a heart. And to those who did this, it's not certain that the Holy One, blessed be He, will hurry to forgive this despicable act."
i24 News contributed to this article.