ORLANDO, Fla. – A woman has retained the services of Morgan & Morgan after she claimed a camp counselor at an Orlando summer program physically assaulted her son.
“I put my trust into the adults at Orlando After-School All-Stars to keep my son safe,” Teresa Madison said in a statement sent to News 6 by Morgan & Morgan. “And instead, my son came home severely injured.”
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A spokesperson with the city of Orlando acknowledged that on June 19, a site supervisor at the city’s summer program learned about an incident involving a summer camp counselor.
“The counselor physically removed a student from the classroom who was reportedly being disruptive,” the spokesperson wrote.
The spokesperson claimed that the supervisor spoke with the student, staff, and other witnesses. The supervisor then contacted the student’s parent.
“The student was not physically harmed, and although medical attention was offered, it was declined by the student and parent,” the spokesperson said. “The student was then taken home.”
The counselor was fired from their seasonal position, the city spokesperson said, because their actions “violated city policy.”
Orlando police are investigating the incident, the city confirmed.
“The city of Orlando takes the safety and well-being of children seriously and remains committed to responding swiftly and appropriately to any such incidents,” the spokesperson’s statement ended.
A statement from Morgan & Morgan on Tuesday offered a different narrative of that day, claiming that the counselor pushed the child after removing him from the classroom.
While the city’s statement claimed the child and parent both denied medical attention, Morgan & Morgan said the child was taken to the emergency room and was subsequently diagnosed with a concussion and other injuries “for which he is still receiving treatment.”
“There is absolutely no justification for a guardian figure, such as a camp instructor, to lay hands on a child in their care,” a statement from Morgan & Morgan reads. “We are committed to securing justice for our client and holding all responsible parties fully accountable.”
A spokesperson for Orange County Schools told News 6 that All-Stars rents space at Memorial Middle School, and that the district is not affiliated with the camp.