A mom in Virginia Beach, Virginia, has filed a $150 million lawsuit against a special education cooperative. Julie Xirau filed the suit against Southeastern Cooperative Educational Programs, claiming that employees mistreated her son, Joshua Sikes. That mistreatment led to Joshua, also known as Josh, causing himself harm. And that harm ultimately led to the boy’s death. His mother believes that if the employees had handled her son, who was autistic and had limited speech, differently, he might not have died.
Of course, filing a lawsuit won’t bring back her son, but it is important to hold people and organizations accountable for their actions.
Joshua Sikes was enrolled at Pembroke Elementary School, where he received services from Southeastern Cooperative Educational Program, or SECEP, in November 2024, WTKR reported. Both SECEP and four of its employees are listed in the lawsuit: Theresa Renvyle, Carole Parker, Nicole Smrz, and Katherine Wynne, who were assigned to his classroom at the time…