Texas – In a shocking incident at an elementary school in Texas, two teachers, identified as B. Henshaw and S. Madill, now find themselves at the center of a growing outcry after surveillance footage captured them assaulting a 5‑year‑old nonverbal autistic child in two separate incidents. The disturbing recordings have led to their termination, and the boy’s mother is now demanding criminal charges as the case prepares to move into the hands of the district attorney.
Although no formal criminal charges have yet been filed, the two teachers, Henshaw and Madill — were fired by the Independent School District after school administrators reviewed the classroom surveillance video. The acts shown in the footage are the basis for a referral to the District Attorney’s Office, where prosecutors are now reviewing whether the teachers should face charges for assault or child abuse.
The potential charges stem from two separate incidents on October 30, each involving physical force used against a child who could not speak, advocate for himself, or report what happened. According to the school district, the footage was serious enough to be forwarded both to the Texas Education Agency and the police department, which in turn referred the matter to prosecutors. For the boy’s mother, identified as G. Rodriguez, dismissal is nowhere near enough. She insists that the actions visible in the video rise to the level of criminal conduct and wants both teachers held accountable under the law.
The surveillance footage paints a deeply troubling picture of what occurred inside the elementary school that day. The first clip reportedly shows teacher Henshaw grabbing the 5‑year‑old boy and slamming him to the floor with enough force that his ankle was later found to be fractured and sprained. In another clip captured less than an hour earlier, she appears to drop him in a separate incident. Later that day, a second video shows teacher Madill interacting with the boy after his injury. In the recording, Madill can be seen kicking the child’s injured ankle while trying to force him to walk, even as he struggles and shows obvious signs of pain.
When the child arrived home that afternoon, his mother immediately noticed something was terribly wrong. He was limping, distressed, and unable to communicate what had happened. Rodriguez took him straight to urgent care, where doctors diagnosed a broken ankle. The next morning, Rodriguez went to the school demanding answers. When administrators allowed her to view the surveillance videos, she watched in horror as the teachers mistreated her son again and again. She later described the experience as “devastating,” emphasizing that his autism and inability to speak made the abuse even more unforgivable. School officials informed parents in a letter that the incidents had been reported to the relevant authorities. Without naming the teachers, the principal confirmed that both had been terminated and that the footage had been forwarded to outside agencies for investigation. The boy has not returned to school since the assault.
Rodriguez says her son was ignored, mishandled, and treated with cruelty by the very people entrusted with his safety. She is now working with attorneys to determine the next steps, which may include civil action against the school district. As of now, no criminal charges have been filed, though the case is under review by the District Attorney’s Office. Investigators must determine whether the teachers’ actions, as seen on video, constitute crimes under Texas law. Both Henshaw and Madill have already lost their jobs, but the boy’s mother says administrative action is not enough — she wants the legal system to respond with the full weight of accountability.
The school district’s referral of the incident to state and local agencies signals that the matter is being taken seriously, yet whether prosecutors will file charges remains uncertain. Until a decision is made, the case stands as a disturbing reminder of the vulnerability of children with disabilities and the responsibility educators bear to protect them. Rodriguez says she will not stop fighting. For her, justice means more than job terminations — it means ensuring that what happened in her son’s classroom that day results in real consequences, and that no other child endures what her son suffered behind closed doors.
