Lackawanna, NY (WBEN) OLV Human Services says it learned this week of an incident of physical mistreatment last month. Three employees have been placed on leave as a result of its probe.
In a statement, OLV Human Services says leadership learned of and began investigating potential physical mistreatment of Victory Learning Center students by one of its employees alleged to have occurred on October 10. That employee was placed on leave as leadership filed a report with Lackawanna Police. Two other employees were also placed on leave due to their conduct in the situation. "OLV Human Services leadership has been in contact with parents of the students in question and are actively working with them regarding this matter," continues the statement.
OLV Human Services adds because of the nature of services provided to students at the Victory Learning Center, the New York State Justice Center and Child Protective Services may also conduct their own investigations into the mistreatment. OLV Human Services will actively cooperate with these agencies and law enforcement throughout their investigations. "Our organization will let this legal process play out. As such, OLV Human Services won’t be commenting further on this topic," adds the statement.
OLV Human Services provides specialized, educational programming for students across Western New York, with and without disabilities. "Our programs – which work closely with local school districts – focus on blending academic, social, and emotional support to meet the diverse needs of all learners. Specifically, we provide specialized services through OLV’s Victory Learning Center for students who are diagnosed with autism or a cognitive disability paired with a mental health diagnosis," the statement concludes.