A second worker from Applied ABC has been charged with assaulting students on the grounds of Parker-Varney Elementary School, police said Thursday.
William O’Connell, 24, of Allenstown, a behavior technician employed by Applied ABC, a contracted provider for the Manchester School District, faces charges for assaults on two children on Jan. 4, according to Manchester police.
The charges come about two weeks after a behavioral therapist from Applied ABC turned himself in to police and was charged with assaulting a 7-year-old student at Parker-Varney in December.
In a letter sent to families, Superintendent Jennifer Chmiel Gillis said the “series of disturbing incidents” at Parker-Varney involved outside contract workers.
“Immediately upon being notified about the incidents, school officials removed both Applied ABC workers from their jobs,” Gillis said. “They have not and will not return. We have also added a new, immediate layer of daily oversight in each school, which will be led by an in-school member from the district office.
“That person will work closely with each school principal to meet daily with contracted special education workers to assess all activity and report back all findings,” she said.
“The district is assessing its options and immediate next steps with regards to the Applied ABC contract currently in place,” Gillis said. “The company is undergoing outreach to current Manchester contracted employees to complete required enhanced safety training.”
In a separate statement, Mayor Jay Ruais called the reported assaults “horrific incidents” that occurred on school grounds.
“This marks the second occurrence in recent weeks involving contracted employees from Applied ABC, raising serious concerns about the suitability of their services within our school system,” the mayor said.
A message left at Applied ABC, a Manchester company that works with autistic students, wasn’t returned.
In a statement to WMUR-TV, Applied ABC said O’Connell and the employee arrested earlier both have been fired.
The incidents involving O’Connell happened at the school at different times on the same day, police said.
In the first, witnesses told police O’Connell threw a 7-year-old boy to the ground, resulting in facial injuries.
He also reportedly put a 7-year-old girl onto the floor in a “hard manner,” but she did not sustain any injuries, police said.
A warrant was issued for O’Connell’s arrest. He turned himself in to police Wednesday evening.
O’Connell was charged with felony second-degree assault and simple assault. He was released on personal recognizance bail pending arraignment March 7.
In the earlier arrest, Louis Efstathiou, 67, of Manchester, was charged with second-degree assault, two counts of simple assault and endangering the welfare of a child. He allegedly assaulted a boy while on school grounds, police said in a statement.
On Dec. 22, a parent reported the incident to Manchester police after their son came home from school with injuries to his face.
The school district contracts with agencies to provide services such as nursing, speech therapy, physical therapy and behavioral therapy. The contracted providers hire their own employees and perform background checks and fingerprinting, as well as training. The provider must provide proof of these requirements before the employee can begin work in a school, according to the statement.
