What kind of school tells an 11-year-old boy he can’t call his mom after a grown man grabbed him by the neck and shook him?
In Fernley, Nevada, substitute teacher James Palu was arrested on felony child abuse charges tied to an incident at Fernley Intermediate School.
And the more details that come out, the worse this story sounds.
According to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office, the April 20 incident started when Palu introduced himself to students and reportedly told them their necks were like “chicken necks,” and that he could “ring their chicken necks” if they misbehaved.
The sheriff’s office says multiple witnesses later reported that Palu placed his hands around two students’ necks and shook them.
During emotional public comments, Fernley mother Darlene Caps described what she says happened to her 11-year-old son in class that day.
“He wrapped his hands tightly around his neck and squeezed,” Caps said. “Then he shook him violently.”
She said her son cried afterward while students sat stunned in the classroom. “The children sat in the classroom and waited for recess and then they got help,” Caps said.
But the anger in Fernley really started boiling over after Caps described what happened afterward.
“My son wrote his report and asked to call me,” she said. “The office staff told him no.”
Instead, according to Caps, her son was sent to another classroom while administrators “handled” the situation.
These details would make any parent furious.
Why weren’t police called immediately? A child was allegedly grabbed by the throat and then everybody just… carried on for a while?
About an hour later, she said she finally received a phone call from the principal. And even then, she says she had to drag the truth out herself.
“I had to ask him directly, did he put his hands around my son’s neck and shake him?” Caps said. “He said yes.”
Then came the moment that probably pushed a lot of parents from concerned to absolutely enraged.
“I asked, did you call the police?” Caps said. “He said no.”
At that point, she said she was going to call police herself – and the principal had the audacity to ask her to wait.
“I said no and that I was going to handle it,” she told the audience during her public comments.
You can feel the anger and disbelief in her words. Parents hearing this story don’t hear “procedure” or “protocol.”
They hear hesitation. They hear delay.
They hear adults more worried about handling the situation internally than immediately treating it like the serious incident it was.
The sheriff’s office says one student was later evaluated by medical professionals and injuries were confirmed even though there were no immediately visible signs.
Caps later described her son’s condition in painful detail.
“My son is in constant pain, headaches every morning, headaches every night,” she said. “He has a cervical sprain, which is whiplash, and a concussion.”
She said he missed school, soccer, and other activities because of the injuries.
Caps also criticized how the situation was handled afterward.
“The delay in reporting by a mandated reporter meant the marks around my son’s neck had faded before photos could be taken,” she said.
She also said her son “was not seen by the nurse” and “was not permitted a phone call home.” According to Caps, “The substitute was sent home instead of detained.”
Lyon County School District says the substitute teacher was immediately removed from campus once the allegations were confirmed and is no longer employed by the district.
The district also noted that substitute teachers are required to undergo background checks and hold appropriate Nevada licensure before being hired.
Fine. But a lot of parents aren’t looking for carefully worded district statements right now.
They’re thinking about what would happen if their kid was choked in a classroom.
If a grown man put his hands around your child’s neck at school, would you be satisfied with how this was handled?
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology was used in the research, writing, and production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
