On Feb. 21, Brendan Depa, a 17-year-old severely autistic student who’d been attending Matanzas High School for two years, attacked his paraprofessional, Joan Naydich, throwing her to the floor unconscious and beating her after he’d been disciplined in the classroom over an electronic game. Surveillance video of the incident circled the globe.
Depa was charged as an adult with aggravated battery on an education employee, a first degree felony with a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. On June 16 a judge declared him competent to proceed to trial. In the pre-trial phase, he is being held in a jail for juveniles in Jacksonville, mostly in solitary confinement, ostensibly for his safety. (Naydich’s contract was renewed last week.)
Depa’s family has not addressed the matter until now. Leanne Depa, Brendan’s mother, speaking on behalf of her son, her husband of 25 years and the rest of their family, is now breaking that silence.
By Leanne Depa
It saddens us when things in our schools don’t always go right or as planned. Our family is filled with concern for Ms. Joan Naydich, and we continue to pray for her swift recovery. Our whole family was horrified by what she endured. Nobody deserves this. We are sincerely sorry for our son’s actions. We support the needs of students, educators, and staff to feel secure in their school environment.
Brendan, who is now 17 years old, joined our family through foster care when he was just an infant. As a baby, Brendan was quite fussy, and he struggled in a school setting from the age of 2. Despite our attempts to enroll him in daycare and public schools, the busy and noisy environments proved too overwhelming for him, leading to environmentally induced meltdowns.
He was easily upset by flies, stickers, and discarded bandages. He was terrified of things other children enjoyed. However, we found that he thrived in smaller and more structured environments, which is why we chose to homeschool him for the most part. To ensure that Brendan had opportunities for socialization, we enrolled him in co-op classes and introduced him to other homeschoolers. We also went camping frequently with other homeschool families and friends, which he loved.
Brendan loved to read and frequently studied the dictionary. He astounded others with his vocabulary while at the same time had difficulty applying his knowledge to real-life situations, as he is a level 3, the most severe on the autism scale, which requires substantial support to manage.
Brendan loves most people. He is a big hugger, hugging everyone he meets, even hugging strangers like the pizza delivery guy. Once when we were at Walmart, he was so excited by something his grandmother was buying him that he lifted her up off the ground and swung her around. That made quite the picture. I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be worried about what the image looked like to other shoppers.
The Diagnoses
While Brendan loves people, he has difficulty with friendships because he is fixated on only what interests him. He struggles with being reciprocal, which affects the way people view him. But he has a big heart. As much as he loves food, he always asked to give his food to any homeless person we passed. If we were in a shopping center, he would ask to buy something and then would walk it over to them. During this time, before the spring of 2017, Brendan was managing in the community by receiving the support he needed through therapies and constant supervision.
While under the care of specialists, Brendan was diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Mood Dysregulation Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Anxiety. From a young age, Brendan has struggled with hypersensitivity to sounds and textures, poor frustration tolerance, poor emotional regulation, rigidity in his thought processes, and frequent demonstrations of magical thinking causing difficulty with focusing. Often it seemed like he viewed characters in his video games as real. For example he had severe fears of a mural at Tijuana Flats, a restaurant that I loved. The mural advertised the restaurant’s very hot sauces by showing a boy standing in a fire, looking over his shoulder with tears running down his face. It terrified Brendan, who thought it represented Hell. He was similarly terrified of our museum’s Disasterville. He wouldn’t get near it, or near a shark statue. It was as if everything came to life for him. He thought throwing toilet paper at a police officer would make her go away.
Even now, Brendan’s therapist reports that he has the emotional maturity of a 4 to 6-year-old. These symptoms are all part of the autism spectrum (ASD).
Brendan was first prescribed antipsychotic medications, among others, in 2018 to control his heightened aggression during a time that our family was going through tremendous stress. At that time multiple close family members were experiencing life-threatening conditions, including his grandmother pictured above, who had pancreatic cancer. Another family member required an emergency craniotomy.
Baker Acts
Unfortunately, the medications did little to improve Brendan’s condition and had onerous side effects: he gained over 100 pounds in a year, making it challenging for us to manage him. Following guidance from healthcare professionals, I reached out to our local police to have Brendan placed under a Baker Act whenever his aggression resurfaced and we could no longer physically calm him down as we once could when he was smaller, by wrapping our arms around him.
Whenever the police came to our house, I never knew what response to expect. Some officers would talk to him and help him calm down. Others would take him to the emergency room for a Baker Act or even arrest him, as was twice the case, even though that’s not what we were seeking. Whenever he was hospitalized under the Baker Act, I would plead with the hospital staff to consult with his treating psychiatrist on medication changes. Astoundingly, they never did. As a result, his psychiatrist would often change his medications once he left the hospital, which became a frequent occurrence, again with unintended, at times onerous consequences.
At one point in 2019 his neurologist took him off the mood stabilizer that his psychiatrist had prescribed, and he soon began to spiral downward. During that time, he initially was able to ignore a couple of neighborhood kids that were bullying him by calling him racial slurs. The bullying continued. One day one of the children attempted to trick him into drinking urine, then rub a tennis ball on his genitals prior to throwing it at him. He got into a confrontation and was arrested. The other individual was not disciplined.
I vividly recall during one emergency room trip a doctor telling me to expect the teen years for someone with ASD to be tough, because of the added component of hormone changes. He told me it would all start to calm down after he made it through puberty. It did not.
Medicating the Impossible
Frequently new medications were added, until he was taking a cocktail of medications, which left us with no clue as to what was helping and what was causing more harm. It is not always clear how different combinations of medication will affect an individual. Unfortunately, it can often be a process of trial and error. As you can imagine, when you’re trying to help a child with a unique nervous system, experimenting with various mind-altering medications can lead to unpredictable, at times uncontrollable and unintended outcomes.
Changes in medication cocktails were not the only problem. Studies have shown that individuals with autism have a stress system that operates differently than those who are neurotypical. The nervous system in its various states does not function as intended, and when combined with hormonal changes during adolescence, can have lasting effects on the stress response system. Individuals with ASD quickly perceive threats and overreact to negative situations, leading to constant feelings of insecurity, heightened emotions and poorer decision-making compared to typical teenagers going through puberty.
Although it was clear that long-term hospitalization was necessary to properly adjust Brendan’s medications, you will not be surprised to know that the insurance company created numerous lengthy obstacles. That’s not unique to Brendan, but it is yet one more factor that interfered with and delayed with care, with consequences we cannot readily measure. We eventually were approved by our insurance for an autism residential treatment center in South Carolina. We visited Brendan once a month, but due to the Covid pandemic, these visits had to be halted.
At the end of September 2020, my husband experienced a massive heart attack involving 100 percent blockage (known as a widow-maker), but thankfully survived. Brendan had to hear about it from hospital staff. He was extremely worried about his father.
The hospital environment was chaotic, noisy, and dealing with Covid challenges. Under normal circumstances, we would have made arrangements for Brendan to spend weekends with us in a hotel as part of his discharge process and reintegration into our family. Covid precautions and my husband’s health made that impossible. Brendan ended up staying at the facility for a year with only a few family visits. He did not receive the medication wash that we advocated for and had anticipated–a process that involves discontinuing all medications and starting anew in a controlled setting.
Group Home and Matanzas High School
Despite continuing to exhibit aggressive behavior in the hospital, the insurance company forced his discharge. It was out of our control. We were able to secure acceptance into the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) and eventually found an intensive behavioral group home for him in November of 2020–the East Coast Habilitation Options (ECHO) group home in Palm Coast. It was two and a half hours away from our own home near the West Coast. There were no closer options available: That, too, is one of the challenges of a labyrinthine system with limitations at every turn. My husband and I took turns visiting him every two weeks, taking him on outings and arranging for brief stays away from the group home even as Covid-related strictures stressed even our little time together.
From the beginning of his time at ECHO, I expressed my reservations about Brendan being placed in the public school system. I was told by ECHO that Brendan had to attend a public school because the Agency for Persons with Disabilities only covered day programs for clients who had graduated high school or turned 22. I was assured by the group home that they place all their clients in the public schools and that a crisis team was only ten minutes away. It took a few months for the school to complete testing and for the Individual Education Program (IEP) meeting to occur.
An IEP is a legally binding agreement that ensures a student’s disability is accommodated in his or her education. For those with behavioral challenges, there’s also a Behavior Support Plan in place to help reduce negative behaviors.
IEP teams meet at least annually to review progress towards specific goals and set new ones. If any concerns arise, the team can call an additional meeting to make necessary changes to the IEP. Our IEP team included his ESE teacher, behavioral analysts, school staffing specialist, district behavior specialist, school counselor, ESE director, mental health counselor, behavior interventionist, his private therapist, ECHO staff, his APD coordinator, and me.
IEP Directives
During the IEP meeting, everyone was told that removal of his electronics was a trigger that often resulted in him having to be restrained. It was also documented in his IEP that he can become overwhelmed and escalate quickly when he is frustrated or feels threatened.
Here are direct citations from his approved IEP:
Brendan’s behavior can affect his ability to succeed in the classroom. Brendan can become overwhelmed if he is given a task that he does not understand immediately, and can shut down when he becomes frustrated or anxious. When a directive is not explained to Brendan, he can become argumentative with teachers and refuse to comply. If he begins to escalate he can become verbally and physically aggressive towards his peers and staff. Brendan does not do well with competition, and losing a game can make Brendan extremely upset and can lead to severe aggression. Once Brendan has escalated it can be very difficult to bring him back to base level behavior.
Even more relevant, here’s what the IEP documents, regarding the Nintendo Switch that was the trigger for the assault:
Echo said that he plays games at home from 5-7 and 8-10. Removing a game is definitely a trigger; if Brendan is playing a game and the house needs to take it away, they will call the crisis team before they ask for the game, because there will be an incident requiring a restraint. [The ESE administrator] said that this information would definitely be useful to know so that MHS was aware of that problem.
Once he reaches this point, it can be challenging to bring him back to a calm state. An example of this occurred over Thanksgiving last year. We stayed in an Airbnb. Brendan came in off the porch crying. When I asked him what was wrong, he first stated that there wasn’t any sun before melting into a heart wrenching wail. It took over 30 minutes of him splashing water on his face and putting his face into the cold air of the freezer to calm his crying. It may not have been about the sun, particularly. He said he hadn’t been home in over three years, and that he missed being with his family. He just wanted to come home.
Previously he’d resisted our attempts to bring him closer to home because he had been insisting on wanting to graduate from Matanzas High School. According to the IEP team, Brendan frequently talked about graduating and going to college, but still lacked the ability to understand the concept of accountability. Magical thinking led him to believe that he would always pass his classes with good grades, even when he wasn’t completing the work. Living with contradictions is part of the challenge as the mother of a child with ASD. I was left with the feeling that Brendan temporarily seeing his home on the West Coast yet not being able to remain was too difficult for him. He remained at ECHO.
Then came that horrific day.
Brendan as an ESE Student
At the time of the incident at Matanzas, he was on six psychiatric medications, all of which can have devastating side effects. Bupropion HCL XL: irritability, false beliefs that cannot be changed by facts, having extreme distrust of people, seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there, trouble concentration. Clonidine HCL: anxiety, holding false beliefs that cannot be changed by facts, irritability, mental depression, seeing or hearing things that are not there. Ziprasidone HCL: agitation, irritability, abnormal behavior. Lamotrigine: agitation, irritability, other abnormal behaviors. Topamax: memory problems, nervousness, trouble concentration, unusual tiredness, aggression, agitation, discouragement, feeling sad or empty, irritability. Propranolol: anxiety, nervousness.
These are just one of the combinations of trials and errors he has been on over the years. While each of these medications are meant to improve psychiatric conditions, they can make them worse.
Brendan was in an Exceptional Student Education classroom and had a paraprofessional. ESE classrooms are unique and require more specialized training than the average classroom. It is a thankless job that is not compensated nearly as adequately as it should be for teachers or paraprofessionals, considering what is expected.
The demands on staffers are grueling. It’s crucial for the staff to have a deep understanding of every child in the classroom–their unique needs, what sets them off, and how to keep them motivated. This can be quite a challenge, as they often must take on the roles of both investigator and counselor. The teachers must have a thorough understanding of extremely detailed documents for each student with an IEP and a behavioral plan. The IEP team is the one who works diligently on these documents for the best outcome.
Although I was hesitant about Brendan attending a public school due to his triggers, I was partially reassured by the IEP process. What I didn’t realize was that while the Behavioral Plan looked good on paper, it would prove very difficult to follow in practice.
There was a reward system in place for students to manage their behavior. The team’s IEP plan consisted of using a token economy. This allowed the students to purchase items out of the closet after delaying gratification, by building up the number of tokens.
But somehow the reward system shifted from the approved plan to utilizing or perhaps misapplying one of Brendan’s known triggers. This year’s teacher changed the overall reward system to allow students to access their electronics once they were done with their work. Most likely not realizing that his teacher was going against Brendan’s IEP, the teacher requested that Brendan’s Nintendo Switch be sent into school daily.
The group home’s behavioral analyst reluctantly and prematurely went along with this request. It was premature, because the IEP team had not been consulted. The teacher stipulated that the game was kept locked up and only given to Brendan at the end of the day, during an empty period.
The Assault
We have lived with the unintended consequences of small and various factors that at times snowball into devastating results for many years. It is never malice or even negligence, but an accumulation of seemingly minor and even reasonable and well-intended acts that somehow reach a critical mass no one would have expected. This is what appears to have happened.
Somehow there was a failure in communication, and the teacher increasingly utilized electronics as rewards over time. On the day of the incident, Brendan was permitted to have his game in the lunchroom and bring it to his non-ESE class. During the manifestation meeting following the incident, it was revealed that he was reminded twice by his paraprofessional to put away his game during that class. Brendan reported he believed he was allowed to use it because the other students were on their phones.
Upon returning to the ESE classroom, Brendan’s paraprofessional explained the situation to his teacher and a discussion took place as to whether he should be allowed to continue to use his game in that setting. Brendan often gets upset when he doesn’t fully comprehend things, and he was convinced that his paraprofessional was not conveying what he thought should be conveyed about what happened in the non-ESE classroom. This led to his emotions becoming heightened and his behavior escalating. You have seen and heard the rest.
“Manifestation Meeting”
His behavioral plan had some strategies in place that were meant to prevent negative behaviors. Here are three of them:
- Use humor with Brendan and build a positive rapport. Avoid negative/corrective statements even after behaviors targeted for reduction have occurred.
- Do not talk about his behaviors in front of him.
- Avoid correcting, reprimanding, or redirecting Brendan in the presence of peers.
As previously stated, this is a challenging task. It requires constant vigilance, as what may not affect a typical student could easily provoke a student with emotional or behavioral challenges. Their brains process information differently, and their response is overly exaggerated. As individuals, it’s natural to overlook established methods when confronted with difficult behaviors daily. I understand how tough this can be.
As a result of the assault, and as is required after such incidents, there was what’s called a “manifestation meeting” at school on Feb. 23. The manifestation meeting consists of all of the IEP team. If the behavior isn’t part of the student’s disability, the student may be disciplined the same as traditional students.
The determination from the manifestation meeting was that Brendan’s behavior on the day of the incident was a “manifestation of his disability.” As such, and at that point, the school was not legally able to expel Brendan. But he was automatically withdrawn once he was jailed in juvenile prison in Jacksonville, where he received a new IEP from Duval County schools.
ECHO had advised me to press the school for alternative placement, even if it was in another county, and to compel the district to provide transportation. The district informed us that Brendan would have to utilize virtual school with the assistance of a virtual teacher a few hours a week. This meant that Brendan would be expected to do all his schooling under the direct supervision of ECHO. That brought us back to the initial problem of ECHO not being willing to provide the day service required to cover those hours. ECHO told us the Agency for Persons with Disabilities would not pay for it. ECHO then gave us a 30-day notice.
That was made moot by Brendan’s re-arrest and his getting charged as an adult. What would originally have been a juvenile assault charge that would have typically had him serve probation became, after an onslaught of media frenzy generated by video of the assault, a first degree felony now exposing him to up to 30 years in prison in a system that will not ensure his safety or provide humane living conditions.
A Plea for Fairness and Understanding
Understand: what I am saying here in no way diminished my sympathies and regret for what Ms. Naydich endured at my son’s hands. It was a horrifically violent act. It was an inexcusable act. But it was not an inexplicable act. And the determination for the act’s consequences should not depend more on what media sensationalism and public demands for revenge have made of it than on at least some consideration for the weeks and months and years of ordeals and challenges that seemed to converge in that eruption last February, with Ms. Naydich paying the heaviest price.
The problem starts with insurance companies denying hospitalizations until families are at a breaking point and denying continued treatment before patients are ready to be safely back in the community. Additionally, intensive behavioral group homes lack better schooling options for children with intensive behaviors. Lastly, the school’s missteps with the IEP and behavioral support plan, which was designed to ensure Brendan’s and staff’s safety, were not of small consequence.
Two other ECHO clients–Reba Johnson and John Willford, both 18, one at FPC, the other at Matanzas–were arrested for assaulting teachers and paraprofessionals. Willford stabbed his teacher in the shoulder with a pen at FPC in 2019, when he was told to turn in his iPad, Johnson punched her paraprofessional in the back. Both had profound disabilities. Willford got 18 months’ probation. Johnson was found incompetent to stand trial. Both remain in their group homes.
My son is in solitary confinement 23 hours a day, facing 30 years.
A child with multiple mental disorders like Brendan should not be sentenced to prison. He would be placed with the general population, exposing him to exploitation and abuse. Brendan lacks the capacity to adapt to prison culture and would not gain the necessary abilities to reintegrate into society successfully. Not least, we fear that access to proper medication and therapy would be unavailable.
Our nation must improve its care for children, as autism and juvenile mental health issues are on the rise. The statistics are staggering. Incarceration is not a viable solution for treatment or rehabilitation.
I am deeply saddened when I read comments that call him a monster, encourage authorities to lock him up forever, and make suggestions to send him to prison with a jar of Vaseline. He is human, he is a boy on the spectrum, with an emotional maturity of a 4 to 6-year-old, who also has mental health issues and has a family that loves him. He is a boy who with support, normalization of hormones and treatment using the right combinations of medicine has the potential to improve.
He was improving. Prior to this incident, Brendan had made some progress towards his behavioral goals. For example, when another student hit him causing his glasses to fall off, he refrained from retaliating. Additionally, when two other students were on the verge of a physical altercation, Brendan stepped in and prevented the situation from escalating until adults could intervene. He demonstrated self-restraint in situations that did not involve his known triggers.
I repeat that our thoughts remain with Ms. Naydich without qualifications. But now that you know both sides of the story, I kindly ask, as Brendan’s mother, for your empathy and understanding not only for our son’s unfortunate situation, but for all children who are suffering from developmental and mental health conditions.
Leanne Depa is an occupational therapist.
Laurel says
I’m glad Ms. Depa wrote this article. People react with hostility because they have no idea how difficult it is to deal with an autistic child unless they have one…or more. This is especially true when the child is older and larger. Our system is failing us.
Autism has increased at an alarming rate. I don’t know that I knew a single autistic child when I was young. With the increase of chemicals in our foods, many of which are banned in Europe and even China, and with the chemicals in our environment, this should be an outrage, but the big corporations press on. They reword the labels such as “Zero trans fat, per serving,” which means it’s still there. Or, “all natural,” which is hardly so. If you pick up a food product and it has more than a few, basic ingredients, put it back!
This sad occurrence should bring to our attention what we really need, not just judgement.
ASF says
When I first started workng as a Social Worker, the catch-all diagnosis for young people with behavioral issues was “Conduct Disorder.” Then it changed to “Developmental Disorder” and/or “Asperger’s Syndrome”. Now “Asperger’s Syndrome is not even featured in the DSM. The catch-all diagnosis often assigned to young people now seems to be “Autism Spectrum Disorder.” Most Psychiatrists don’t like to assign psychiatric diagnoses to young people that they feel might end up serving as a “label” for life.
Two facts need to be noted, as described by Mr. Depa’s mother: (1) Children and the elderly often react to medications–especially Psychotropic medications–differently than others do. They often experience “paradoxical reactions”–meaning the effects of the medication are sometimes the opposite of the effects intended . (2) Young people’s brains continue to be “plastic” into their twenties in the best of cases. This obviously was not the best of cases.
It’s a shame that Mr. Depa was not able to be placed closer in proximity to his support system. I don’t know if he was taking his medications as prescribed or if he might have been taking other substances of his own choosing in addition or in place of his prescribed medications. That can happen even with people (especially young and vulnerable individuals) who are supposedly being supervised. I gather from the article above that even when Mr Depa was living with those who knew and loved him best–and who I would hope had received counseling and instruction as to what to do in the event of a behavioral crisis–they were forced to call Law Enforcement and depend on outside authorities to intervene when Mr Depa spiraled out of control.
Mr. Depa’s mother is also correct that Mental Health professionals are often overworked, underpaid, not adequately trained and frequently targeted for abuse by out of control and/or manipulative patients, their frustrated families and a patchwork system that is often dysfunctional in itself.
There is a balance to be maintained between the rights of the individual and public safety. The professionals who most recently evaluated Mr Depa all agreed he had deficits but they were not in agreement with each other as to what level they would assign to his Autism. Psychiatryis not an exact science. It’s not like taking an x-ray and saying, “look, there’s the break–we know exactly where it is, how bad it is and how to treat it.”
One can certainly sympathize with the worry and pain that Mr. Depa’s family is experiencing. But the public deserves as much protection from potentially violent individuals as challenged individuals deserve. If Mr. Depa remains a danger to himself to himself and others, his freedom to operate at will and whim may be forfeit.
I hope all the parties involved in this case will receive as much justice as can be managed in this sad case.
Brendan’s Mom says
I have always thought his medications were a factor in his behaviors but it was hard to get them managed. He needed a medication wash- where they take him off everything & see his baseline.
The one positive out of him be in jail (solitary confinement), is the staff is just giving him what they please & he is now down to 2 psychiatric meds instead of the 6 he was on. For awhile he was having visual hallucinations continuously. When he was dropped down to 2 meds, the visual hallucinations stopped. He seems calmer. He told me that some of the inmates call him retard or autistic (they talk through the air vents) & he doesn’t get angry anymore.
He was always in the group home, out the community with us or at school. He wasn’t using any other substances. We tried medical cannabis with him for awhile until he started having hallucinations. He is very anti-drugs.
Richard says
No way Jose, this is a nice puff peace but his actions and behavior after being arrested show he was aware of what he did and has nothing to do with ADHD. He should stay in jail and eventually prison where he belongs.
Eugene Lopes says
Richard, it doesn’t seem that you read the article. He is autistic. ADHD, depression, and many other medical conditions often accompany a diagnosis of autism. Brendan had an IEP which clearly lists factors that could trigger aggressive behavior. Being aware of what he did and why he did it are two very different things. It is important to understand all of the factors that led to this incident. You very much seem to be in the guilty until you prove your innocence camp. Is this only for this young man or do you always believe this?
Ryan Bishop says
I’m tired of the excuses, the system failed as soon as schools were forced to accommodate water heads. Keep your mistakes at home if you can’t train them to behave. I promise you if my wife and I get any inclination that our unborn child is gonna be less than healthy, we will be aborting. We will not be those people that make our kids other people’s problems. What if this had been a 13 year old girl rather than a grown teacher? Point is those unpredictable animals are too dangerous to be put in the normal population of any group. I’m not sorry either. Too many people won’t do what needs to be done, to many people aren’t learning their genetic compatability with their partners, well that’s why autism is on the rise, DNA and bloodlines that shouldn’t mix are being mixed. And it’s not a race thing, it’s literally a people thing, you owe it to your future children and their health as well as their quality of life to make sure as parents you can conceive healthily. If you can’t guarantee your child will come out developed and healthy, then you don’t need to breed.
KC says
Lol. Nope. Definitely not a race thing.
Karla-Monique Veal says
Perhaps all of the insane inhuman things and projections is what your parents should have thought of before they decided to birth you.
You obviously have some form of birth defect
MeeG ahcsiMahcsiM says
This boy was adopted, he is a boy, not an adult. He is autistic, not a “water head” as you so ignorantly stated. You should under NO circumstances ever father a child, healthy or not, because your an intellectual midget and the chances of you passing on your lack of ability to think are definitely greater than not.
Nay says
You DO KNOW people who are completely compatible and healthy can still produce a child with “issues” right? Is it an excuse for his actions? No, not at all, but people deserve to live just as much as anyone else, no matter their issues – but also be punished for their mishaps.
I am sorry for whatever trauma you clearly suffered to give you this mindset.
Steven R. Gordo says
“[Y]ou owe it to your future children and their health as well as their quality of life to make sure as parents you can conceive healthily.”
-Ryan Bishop
I have heard of that, before.
The NAZI euthanasia program was not a “race thing,” until it was. The first victims of the NAZI philosophy were the disabled. Since you seem like you may be a fellow conspiracy theorist, has it occurred to you that crippling our population is more effective for our enemies’ goals than outright killing parts of our population? How did this suddenly happen, an explosion of disabilities, such as autism? What environmental changes, such as meds, vaccines, food additives, and pollutants, coincide with this explosion of special needs? You seem to think it easy to simplly eliminate people who don’t fit, but I can promise you, the heartache of worrying about a disabled loved one is real and overwhelming. Your solution would be more likely acceptable in a totalitarian state where individuals have no voice and are expected to serve the state. Those that cannot serve are eliminated.
You can make a society pure, but at the cost of society’s collective soul. Disability frightens us, because we all know that, likely as not, should we live long enough, we, too, will eventually be disabled. The disabled are a mirror to our own souls and future.
But, you are certainly entitled to your opinion. Who knows what dystopian future is in store for our children? With the value of individual lives being cheapened every day, it’s only a matter of time before government decides who lives and who dies. Good luck, sir.
Angela says
You are ignorant. You need to learn about Autisim before you set on your high horse and judge. You are not God and you with your superior attitude will burn in hell before any autistic person.
autist random A says
ADHD isn’t autism. Watch the 2million hour documentary on Chris Chan seems same level as this lad
Max says
Behavioral problems are tough, but a history of violent behavior for a 6’6″ 270 pound person is quite dangerous. And I’m sure disclosing his violent behavior would’ve made it impossible for him to be places in a public school and continue benefits
Sue says
My heart just breaks for this family. Psych meds have been found to have huge unwanted negative effects on teenagers, and I agree that a meds wash eould have been a helpful thing to do. Navigating insurance companies is a nightmare. They are not here to help us, not one little bit. I hope and pray that Brendan gets the help he needs, and that the media does not get him railroaded into a huge sentence. I’m so sorry for your pain.
Dian says
I’m so sorry for your family and for the paraprofessional. I’m sorry for your son with all of his disabilities. It’s a heartbreaking story.
Sandra says
1. Medications are not really good for people. Just because it is an option, doesn’t mean it should be taken.
2. Why is controlling other people’s behavior HIS behavioral plan? There is nothing about him in this plan of his: Use humor with Brendan and build a positive rapport. Avoid negative/corrective statements even after behaviors targeted for reduction have occurred. Do not talk about his behaviors in front of him. Avoid correcting, reprimanding, or redirecting Brendan in the presence of peers.
Avoiding correcting in front of peers at school. What garbage. I’m glad she didn’t help litghten.
Ana says
There is a whole lot more to this story than is actually being told . The first being an IEP under Wrights law puts the District at fault under FAPE he is allowed to be in the LRE . My question is was the para certified with all credentials able and trained approximately to deal with this style of special need. Also, was the teacher certified and fully trained on how to deal with this type of special need. Also, the device was brought ti the school at whos request? Also, the medications may have caused him hallucinations as it has happened to any of us and he was taking plenty. All I am saying is there is more to this dtory
Steven R. Gordo says
This is important. The device was not a reward but part of a coping strategy in his IEP. In my opinion, as a former special education teacher, his IEP clearly was not followed. I completely agree that this was preventable.
Joe says
He’s an animal and needs to be put down. There is no place in society for that.
Megin Meyer says
This statement is not ok.
Mischa Gee says
I would say you are a greater danger to society and truly an animal based on your cruel and ignorant statement.
I agree, with Megan Meyer, your statement is NOT ok.
SDP says
It could be incredibly dangerous for anyone working with him during a medication wash. People could be severely injured, to the point of disability or death, while his myriad of conditions went untreated. Who deserves that kind of risk?
Concerned. says
I was happy to read your article, however, I feel that you and your husband never acknowledged that any of the issues were your responsibility as parents. Is it possible that your son felt abandoned by his family when you left him in South Carolina and then hardly visited? Then this poor child, who is finally able to get out of that environment, is set to come home and again you dump him off in a group home 2 hours away and only visit every other weekend. How could you even understand what this child needed without being around him? If you were willing to give him up to a group home, you must have been fearful of this child living in your home. I suspect that you or your husband would have been his victim instead of a woman, who works a thankless job, and is supposed to use humor as not to upset your “child.”
I do not think that he should end up in Prison, that is for sure. They cannot accommodate him or his needs. He now belongs in a Medical Health Institute. These behaviors will not stop. Now all of a sudden, because he is supposed to go to jail, you want him “home.” Does this mean the home that you share with your family or a group home where he plays video games from 5-7 and then again from 8-10? If this was my child who had the emotional capacity of a 6-year-old, I know for sure that i would not allow him to spend his entire evening playing video games. This is not healthy for any child.
I think you and your husband need to acknowledge that it is possible that not only did the system fail this child, but your did too.
Sheryl Ray Sasko says
It seems to me that this man is a small child on the inside please don’t send him to prison we must have a better option
Vera Black says
He NEEDS TO BE PLACED in a Psychiatric Hospital permanently. There he will get the continuous help he needs, while people are not in risk of danger with this individual. There are places out there for the criminally insane. And he should be placed there with all the support he needs.
Also, the judge who said that this person was “fit for trial”, should get reprimanded, and the case SHOULD BE APPEALED to a HIGHER court.
Brian Flynn says
You guys need your own little island isolated from the rest of society so you can raise & nurture your precious little time bombs. That way when they blow a gasket it only affects you guys. Society shouldn’t be at risk because of your sweet little misunderstood angel.
Eugene Lopes says
I am so tired reading the ignorant and cruel statements directed toward Brendan Depa and his family. Clearly the people making these comments know nothing about autism or the education system. These comments do nothing to help the situation. It really is possible to show compassion for both Ms. Naydich and the Depa family. The Depas did something that very few of us are willing or capable of doing ……. Adopting a child with special needs. This is not about walking a mile in their shoes – more like walking a couple of steps. Most of us couldn’t do it. The Depas are people all of us should strive to be. They are loving, compassionate and selfless parents who’s biggest fault is that they unconditionally love their son. We should all have people like this in our lives. It is time for the haters to crawl back under their rocks and leave this family alone.
Phillip says
Well said!
Phillip says
Well said! Thank you!
Anthony says
You people are actually insane. You have two people here, one beat a woman unconscious and the other said words you think are mean. The only people you’re chastising and talking down to are the people with mean words, yet you’re bending over backwards for the person that beat someone unconscious. I’ve seen people say that those with mean words shouldn’t have children because they’ll pass on their “lack of ability to think.” Yet these same people haven’t said a peep about the birth mother that had a child that nearly beat someone to death.
Of course not a single one of you have even considered if the “mean comment” people have some issues, how do you even decide what anti-social person you’re going to stick up for? “Society shouldn’t have to take this risk” <— OMFG EVIL! "I just beat the crap out of a woman for trying to take my Switch" <— WE NEED TO HAVE COMPASSION AND UNDERSTANDING!!!
I'm all for Brendan being in a long term care facility until he can prove to a panel of specialists that he is no longer a risk to himself or others, I would personally prefer this over the alternative. However you virtue signaling tools running around the Internet pretending you're better than everyone that disagrees with you need to remember one thing:
A woman almost died BECAUSE OF YOU. NOT because of the people you're criticizing. If you're ok with that risk then fine but when that risk goes south you don't get to wipe your hands and pretend that you didn't place that risk on other people.
Maggie says
Unfortunately, all, or most, of the long-term care facilities have been closed. I don’t know if they closed the facilities because of the money they cost taxpayers, or someone decided those patients needed to be free to live in the community. I do know the patients were cared for, and had a certain amount of freedom within the limits of the institutions. The community was safe and the patients were safe. Maybe we need to bring the institutions back.?
Catherine M says
A resounding ‘YES!’ to bringing back the institutions where Patients can be SAFELY cared for.
It brings a much safer community – there is young adult with Autism near where we live {U.K} born to older parents, and they are incapable of managing him physically, so they have two young, physically strong male and female carers with him most of the day, and certainly when he is out and about.
He isn’t anywhere near as powerfully built as Brendan- but have seen his carers having difficulties corralling him back into a vehicle, or into his house, while he dashes about screaming .
It seems a thankless task, and hats off to carers like this.
There did used to be institutuions locally that were closed late last Century-
The grounds often were beautiful, Dog shows and fetes used to be held there, and the people who lived there had a café and small shop in the grounds.
”Care in the Community” or rather ”Don’t care in the Community ” seems to have been an unmitigated disaster , both for patients and the community.
Schools now…I haven’t had anything to do with a school for over 20 yrs, but it seems that they are having to accept students with severe behavioural issues that frighten and disrupt the class, and they can and do attack the poorly~ paid , basically untrained classroom assistants.
The video of Brendan attacking the aide was shown worldwide- it was a terrifying and brutal attack on a small and defenceless woman- Clearly Brendan IS ‘dangerous’ in that he can explode without warning, and then be too powerful to restrain- some sort of mental health hospital unit much like ‘Broadmoor’ in U.K might be ‘better’ than a normal prison.
No easy answers.
People who are a danger to themselves and others certainly need care- but who pays for it? such provision is very expensive.
Charlie D says
I feel so sorry for the family and everyone involved that tried to do the right thing! We, “me included” tend to see and react when we see these videos without knowing the whole story and some people are just never going to get it ? Or society doesn’t deal with certain things and uses the criminal justice system to handle it. It doesn’t work for Anyone involved! People in positions of power, politicians,etc. need to fix these issues instead of spending their time on getting elected back to office! Our country needs to stop this fighting amongst races and accept people that are different and HELP EACH OTHER! Most religions, The Bible etc. talk about this ! Do unto others, help the poor, etc. We need to wake the Fuc up or we are doomed!
Liz says
How very convenient of you to throw your political opinion while lecturing others about getting along. This boy was a known danger to society. His parents failed him and society. Makes me sick to see this called autism. This boy is not the face of autism. This is a huge disservice to autistic individuals as labeling this as autistic. This is 100% parental failure. They desserted that child.
Mischa Gee says
Since when are you an expert on autism? This boy has been diagnosed and treated for this condition by actual professionals.
Your arrogant judgement of his family is beyond ignorant it’s mean and completely unfounded.
Steven R. Gordo says
It’s easier to throw harsh judgements than to actually think through and sort out a thoughtful and constructive opinion. Honestly, simply condemning him is the easy way out and much easier to do.
Pitchforks and torches have a long history and seem to have not gone away over time in “civilized” society.
Robert says
He should be, at the very least, committed to an institution for the remainder of his natural life. He is clearly a threat to society. Also, it appears parents love to blame a disability for ANY action their nearly full grown spawns take, up to and including assault and murder… which is WHY they’ve escalated to this level. Nonetheless, this guy is a clear and present danger who needs to be taken out of society and placed in a facility that can keep the public safe from these insane and atrocious actions.
Seema Khan says
Prayers for Brandon, mom, dad entire Depa family who is fighting for this child.
I am a mom with severely autistic child now an adult still living with us. I also pray for that paraprofessional as well.
Igor says
You talk about chemicals in our foods and environment, but the reason may be even simpler than that. There is a lot of investigation right now about an apparent link between autism and the use of acetaminophen (Paracetamol, Tylenol) in the third trimester of pregnancy. Not proven yet.
DNelson says
No way this young man should’ve received 5 years in prisoner. People in similar situations received way less; such as getting help with their mental illnesses. Once again the Justice system, and school proves that justice is color blind.
patti fuller says
I too was horrified at the attack on the teacher and wish her continued recovery. After reading his history and specifics in the IEP, I am apalled at the school’s violation of his IEP. I am a former special education teacher and cannot imagine this. I hope the school will be held accountable. Brendan should be placed in an institution where he can continue therapies, not a jail.
Susan E Davis says
I agree with Patti Fuller. My heart breaks for this boy and his family. Prayers
Anthony says
Can the judge actually place him in a facility now though? I’d love a lawyer to speak up as I’m not sure how this works with him pleading no contest and being deemed fit to stand trial. I was under the impression that could only happen with a successful insanity plea.
Regardless, it’s what I would like to see happen.
Chris says
Are you kidding? He has 3 prior assaults on his record. He’s not improving, people are making excuses for him. The world can not treat him with sensitive gloves all the time. Especially because when he explodes, he’s a serious danger to anyone and everyone around him.
I understand the need to understand autism and the spectrum and all the issues that go with it, but it shouldn’t diminish the harm they’ve done to someone.
After he serves his sentence in jail an in-patient institution would be a good place for him where he can be treated with those sensitive life-gloves he needs and the working world can’t trigger him.
It’s unfortunate that his size is a factor here. He’s a walking time-bomb waiting to go off, who is he going to go off on next? The world can’t tippy-toe around him all the time.
This all said, I hope he gets treatment and medications that will help him. But he’s committed a horrible crime for which he has to serve a sentence for. His autism can not be a “get out of jail free card”.
I hope he gets the help he needs during and after serving his sentence in jail.
Gina Weiss says
Thank you Pierre in facilitating to bringing facts to light, this is a classic case where everyone loses,
our system is a failed system starting from the big pharmaceuticals who contribute to Congress big
checks for nearly half of the lawmakers campaigns, “political giving”, to keep drug prices high and make
it difficult for the average person to get, coupled with the failure of slow moving insurance companies
“delay in care” is actually killing Americans. We also have a very challenged medical system, not enough
staffing, low paying salaries, which leads to a whole other host of problems, med errors and workers
calling out because they are overworked and tired. The IEP programs are great but it is also
important that the teachers are on board which impacts the students needs. Last but not least our
mental health support system is broken and needs to be fixed.
Sue Urban says
Excellent story! It is sad what happened. However, as stated from the beginning this was completely avoidable had the Para and Teacher followed this student’s IEP. (Not the first time this has happened in Flagler Schools). As a parent, you should counter Sue the school district for failure to protect your son, I sure as hell would! Was the lunch lady Para properly trained and certified to be teaching your child’s disability? The charges and punishment in this case are ridiculous and do not fit the crime. Was your child evaluated by 3 experts for Componency? If not then the judge is making the decision and we all know the bias in this county…. even Rick Staly referred to your son as “APE-LIKE” what a racist! FREE BRENDAN!!!!
Bam says
Agreeed !!!!
ChirpChirp says
This is the comment I came for! Free Brendan!
Ilene says
I agree!
Jimmy says
Yeah free him so he can kill somebody this time. Should be placed in 24 hour hold. Dumbass was going to kill that women with two kids.
Sam says
Anyone who uses the R slur to make any point doesn’t deserve to have an opinion. Go back to school and broaden your vocabulary, maybe therapy to develop some empathy as well.
FlaglerLive says
The line using the word should not have been approved. It has been removed. Thank you for pointing it out.
24.154 says
Agreed that he needs to be locked up. He’s a violent & dangerous menace to society!
NANCY SKADDEN says
It is unconscionable that Brendan is being tried as an adult. Why hasn’t he been evaluated by a psychiatrist? He doesn’t belong in prison. In my opinion, psychologists aren’t qualified to evaluate someone with Brendan’s psychiatric history. This case has been handled improperly from the beginning.
Of course my sympathies go to the paraprofessional who was injured. But also think of all this boy has endured his whole life. My heart goes out to his family.
Brendan doesn’t belong on prison.
Arkfeld Kay says
Totally agree!
Vera Black says
I think everyone SHOULD agree that he NEEDS to be in a Psychiatric hospital permanently. That way he would get ALL the HELP he needs, as well as keeping society safe.
Toto says
What well written insight to your son. I feel your pain. Pain especially brought on by the frustration of what this state has to offer as far as children with such huge special needs. The combination of drugs given to this young man undoubtedly contributed to his behavior, and they’re given so freely. My daughter is on the spectrum, and meds were freely written. The side effects transformed her into someone I didn’t recognize. I properly weaned her off of them. Her behavior is not nearly as serious as Brendens is. You’ve had much trauma to deal with within your family, making your situation beyond stressful. Bottom line is that the system is broken. We lack enough professionals to deal with people with mental illnesses. I wish our governor would get off his bandwagon of “wokeness” and address the needs of the Medicaid system in Florida.
Wow says
Truly heartbreaking to read this. Your family has done everything and more to help Brendan and to have people call him a monster is horrifying. The system failed him. I am so sorry for what you, and he, have gone through.
Deirdre says
I hope this whole legal ordeal resolves quickly and can ultimately help all kids with disabilities, their families, and educators charged with their care.
I can’t imagine how hard it is for Brendan and his family, he’s so lucky they love him and want what’s best for him. I would say to his family hang in there, if only one psychiatrist states he should be tried as an adult, plenty more will come forward during a trial to say that is wrong, wrong, wrong.
Anyone who states he’s a monster doesn’t know much about people with these kinds of disabilities.
This is not about taking sides, it’s about making changes to facilitate everyone’s safety including Brendan’s. Prison is the last place he should be, he simply isn’t responsible for his actions as awful as it may look on camera.
I’m glad his mom was able to elaborate on the details of his history publicly; clearly everyone involved in his life directly cares about his future and have done their best. That includes the educators at Matanzas, who are in no way to blame in this situation.
Public schools don’t pick and choose their students, even with the knowledge of his meltdowns being (possibly) violent he has a legal right to attend public schools.
Let’s work in fixing that system, I’m sure everyone at any IEP meeting would agree with that. This conversation is long overdue, and the victims include his paraprofessional, his loved ones, and sadly Brendan himself.
Ilene says
So true and well stated. Brendan does not belong in jail and should not be charged as an adult and in no way is he competent to stand trial.
Bam says
Someone should make a go fund me for Brendan. I’ll happily donate to try and get him out of jail if possible or get him then best legal representation possible. I completely understand both sides of the story but when you read the truth behind what really went down it’s not possible to hold him accountable. 30 years in prison ?! How is he competent to stand trial as an adult. Please people imagine being in a room 23 hours a day. But wait imagine doing that at 6 years old. He has the mental capacity of a 6 year old. None of you can imagine being held captive in prison at 6 years old all day long in solitary confinement for the last few months. The media did this. You people did this. We raised $100,000 dollars for the teacher. I believe she is in physical and emotional pain from this event & deserved every penny she was blessed with but have a heart ?? Let’s get him the help HE needs. 30 years in prison isn’t going to help him. He’s going to remain at the mental state of a 6 year old. He won’t survive in general population. I will not allow You to sentence this boy to death. He didn’t ask to be born this way. He didn’t ask for this, nobody did. But read the story. Use your brains. He was given more and more opportunities to use his Nintendo KNOWING that , that would be a trigger for him when you go to take it away. I believe there was a huge lack of communication and negligence within the school system & his “team”. While you fight for Justice AGAINST this CHILD I’ll fight for Justice FOR this child. He needs help. What lawyer out there has the balls, compassion & common decency to do the right thing and prove that he wasn’t completely in the wrong. Again I’ll happily provide compensation to help his legal fees. While the rest of the world sits back and prays for his demise I’ll pray & fight for his freedom.
Kara Reiniche says
THIS ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️
Mike C says
Gofundme doesn’t allow fundraisers for violent crime legal defenses, you’d have to use some other side like GiveSendGo or Fundrazr.
Esme says
Yes to everything in this comment! Brendan is an innocent child. Thinking about what he’s currently experiencing pains my heart so much. I wish there was a way we can help. I will donate as much as I can and spread any gofundme or charity this family makes for him. 30 years in prison is unacceptable. I have never heard this type of sentencing on a crime like this let alone this not even being a crime but an act of trigger by a child
TR says
Knowing someone with two autistic children that has been failed by the Flagler School system because the teachers are not properly trained on how to deal with these kids. I didn’t read the entire story, but if this was mentioned in the story I apologies. The fact is the way I understand it is that the school system gets a ton of extra money per student with autism (like $10,000, but not 100% sure on the amount) but yet the kid does not get the teaching they deserve. The school system is so broken because they just push everyone through without making sure they have the correct education to go to the next class. Kinda falls under the umbrella of the saying ” everyone gets a trophy” That just doesn’t teach anything, but what it should teach is you do the hard work and pass and you get to move on. If you don’t, you stay behind. The kids that learn in order to succeed will work hard and be rewarded in their entire lives with success.
Well someone with autism has a harder road to travel, but yet the teachers in many school systems don’t know how to teach these kids how to succeed. This is sad to say the least and makes it really hard for the parents. It’s even harder when the parent is a single mom.
I think if a student with autism is taught the right way the school deserves to get the extra money, if the school system fails and the student doesn’t pass, the school system shouldn’t get a penny for that student.
Suzie says
FYI the amount determined of extra funding I’d by the matrix and this extra money is really not a lot more. It certainly isn’t enough to cover the supports schools need for our special needs population
Jennifer says
ECHO and the public school system set this young man with a disability for failure and the judge who declared a level 3 autistic person as competent in this case needs to be reprimanded.
Knowing that electronics are a severe trigger for him and asking that he bring his video game to school to play and have it taken away is the stupidest thing I’ve heard and sounds very lazy on the part of the school. Of course it is horrible what he did, but it was directly caused by the incompetence of the schools. This mom should sue these entities that were responsible for her son and failed to give him the care he needed in the hopes that they won’t continue to do this for other students in their “care”.
There’s no way a level 3 autistic person should be in general population prison. This is ridiculous.
Ilene says
I agree!
Jen says
I agree.
David Schaefer says
First let me say that what the young mad did was WRONG. Should he be in prison NO. This story says whats wrong with the mental health system in this country its broken especially in this state.
Concerned ESE staff says
I have worked in Flagler county ESE with ECHOE students and more severe behavior students. While our hearts go out to the para involved in the violence, I have argued that this student has documentation of his medical and intellectual disabilities. There is NO way he should be facing prison for a condition and behaviors that his teachers and staff have been facilitating prior to the incidence. Equally, there has been a manifest determination by the school, it is unacceptable to punish this kid with a felony. What can we do as a community to support this student and correct the steps that led to this unfortunate outcome?
Mischa Gee says
The community could file a petition to have Brendan’s charges reduced to “time served” and give him probation to watch his progress while returning him to a group home, where he seemed to be functioning well.
Although we won’t and don’t know how he will cope after over 7 months in jail, I believe he’ll be better off in that environment than jail.
The district attorney/ prosecutor, has the ability to reduce the charges on their own as well, which if they have learned anything about severe autism and looked at charges and sentencing for similar incidents they should be wanting to do.
In my opinion and based on what we know about the turn of events in this situation, I think the para professional in this case was indeed culpable in some regard. She should have been aware of Brendan’s triggers. From the explanation of what happened, she had more than one chance to de-escalate, by simply allowing the boy to keep his electronic device, but it seems she was more intent on exerting her will, which led to his explosive response. Maybe continuing training and reinforcement of how to deal with these types of situations will reduce the likelihood of them happening again in the future.
In the meantime, the DA could and should take all factors into consideration, review similar cases and adjust the handling of this case accordingly.
Sarah Evans says
Blame the victim? Uh-huh. Brendan needs to be removed from society and I agree jail isn’t appropriate. But the public MUST be protected from him. That’s more important than anything else. What he did before can happen again and he can never be trusted. He’s a timebomb waiting to go off.
Flapharmtech says
No jail for Brendan. Para professionals and many others in healthcare (home health aides, phlebotomists, pharmacy techs, etc etc etc) must be paid our worth.
Concerned RN, Conservative Christian, Mother and lifelong child advocate says
I feel like Brendan and his family are victims in this story too.
Big pHARMa continues to make everyone think children with challenges and/or special needs, ‘need’ medication.
Everyone should question the motivation of a billion-dollar industry described as the ‘perfect model for Organized Crime’.
These daily advertised medications often act as dis-inhibitors, causing teens and young adults to act out, behave unpredictably and possibly even cause harm.
Almost every school shooting can be traced back to the use of anti-psychotics, other pharmaceuticals or a combination.
I am convinced the well-known Floridian Nikolas Cruz who suffered early childhood trauma and bullying was poorly managed medically. He received counseling, but it was characterized as inadequate, inconsistent, sporadic at best with no follow-through.
Many believe a long list of constant medications with frequent changes drove Nikolas to ‘the brink’.
Watch the documentary, “Speed Demons” 2018 on YouTube with Congressman Matt Gaetz.
Matt Gaetz was good friends with Myron May, responsible for the shooting death of three FSU students.
The experts and victims in this documentary will help one to truly understand the psychological effects these medications can have on humans. The FSU library shooting was a direct result of doctor prescribed medication causing a ‘substance induced toxic psychosis’. These complications are way too common.
https://ssristories.org/ https://ssristories.org/all-posts/
I have to ask, “Was Brendan driven to the brink”?
Will that question ever be answered and if the answer is ‘yes’, who then is responsible?
Even if Brendan is partially responsible, a prison sentence of 30 years!
I regret a school employee was injured and the situation has led to me reading this and ultimately compelled to respond.
If the school employee works with special education students, surely, she understands this situation better than most.
No doubt situations can escalate quickly, but I believe a consummate professional can de-escalate and diffuse a situation that could get out of hand with others. Then again medication may have played a significant role…
I hope the woman who was injured recovers quickly and has forgiveness in her heart.
I believe forgiveness, mercy and understanding will help her heal in every way imaginable.
I find it hard to believe she would want this teen sentenced to 30 years in an adult prison.
I find it hard to believe anyone would want this teen with autism and a myriad of other problems to go to prison for 30 years.
There seems to be plenty of documented information warning adults working with this student with special needs.
He appears to be somewhat adultlike in his pictures and on video, but he clearly is NOT.
It says a professional evaluating Brendan states he has an estimated emotional maturity between the age of four to six years?
Maybe a panel of at least three judges need to review his case.
Teens on the spectrum can sometimes fool people and can appear extremely intelligent.
I worked with a young boy on the autism spectrum in Boy Scouts.
I realized quickly that I gave him more credit than he was capable of.
He lacked the basic ability to rationalize and understand his behavior and that of others and how they intermingled.
Patience and a lot of tolerance and love are required with these kids at times.
These parents anguish daily for their children and their daily encounters which can be negative and come from a place of ignorant judgement.
The mother stated in the article that Brendan’s IEP warns that issues with his electronics may cause him to over-react if pushed in certain circumstances making him unmanageable. This does not sound surprising dealing with a child with autistic behaviors.
Personally, I have to question how the situation was truly handled. What steps could have been taken differently?
When love and compassion are shown, individuals, young and old, even with challenged comprehension, intuitively know they are cared about and safe. I believe this to be true, because I have worked with children, teens and seniors with dementia most of my life. The power of observation comes easy to some, not so much to others.
What happened that day?
When I first watched this video a few months ago, I immediately questioned what kind of medication this young teen was on and what the circumstances were.
My gut told me something was awry.
Situations that quickly devolve, frequently come about when a combination of things create a ‘perfect storm’.
I have been a camp counselor and volunteer for multiple organizations for years and I have practiced for over 40 decades as a RN.
Compassion is inherent in my job. I have to ask where is the compassion in this story?
I believe additional psychological evaluations of this teen are needed and a thorough review is only fair to him and his family.
This mentally challenged teen needs guidance and a safe environment where people care about his well-being and know how to provide excellent care. Caregivers must be steadfast and a loyal advocate for Brendan. There are places like this.
PRISON is without a doubt the WORST place our state could ever send this young teen with significant diagnoses documented.
Noone with these multiple diagnoses should be in prison.
Medical care in prison is an oxymoron and I suspect that care for this young fellow in prison would be an abomination and neglectful of our state.
If our society does not figure this out quickly and come up with a more reasonable plan, I will lose all faith in our government.
My understanding from the article is that Brendan is being held in a jail and in isolation.
Isolation can cause serious mental illness or further contribute to the deterioration of existing mental illness.
This is abhorrent!
PRISONERS of WAR warn that isolation of the human spirit can lead to feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Deprivation of love and fellow human interaction is well documented and can result in decreased overall well-being and a sense of disconnectedness from others.
Isn’t this teen already a product of such an atrocity by his diagnosis of autism and would not more deprivation to this disadvantaged child worsen his condition?
Is this not cruel and unusual punishment?
No person with any kind of compassion or concern for a vulnerable, fellow human being would subject someone to this torture?
Allow me to re-state the obvious: Isolation for any amount of time can have a profound impact on mental and emotional health.
I am not prepared to comment on what looks like possible racial disparity based on the other two students mentioned in the story and their punishment, but this concern must be raised at some point and I propose sooner than later.
I ask anyone involved in this case to consider their very own humanity and to think about their family and children.
This family has had a lifetime of struggles. They put their child first. As most of us, they possessed a desire to provide the very best for their child, their family member, now growing and maturing, but atypical in many ways, yet they have dedicated their lives to him. They love him and they are in pain for and with him. One can see the mother is distraught.
Walk just one mile in this family’s shoes; the parents, the grandparents, his siblings?
Brendan’s…
When thinking of this teen and his family, I ask you to consider this proverb,
“There, but for the grace of God go I”.
I am praying for God’s direction and discernment for all individuals involved in and deciding on this child’s situation.
Because of his estimated emotional maturity, I call him a CHILD at this juncture, despite his size, stature and years on this earth.
I ask that you pray for everyone too, especially Brendan.
Suffer The Little Children…
Mischa Gee says
Well said. Brendan needs help, not punishment. He belongs in a facility that can offer that help, not a prison where he will more than likely deteriorate further.
TPVDallas says
No, Brendan and people like him should be locked up and kept far away from society. A wild dog that may go off at anytime.
Daisy says
He doesn’t go off at anytime! He is a young teen who has a trigger because he is severely autistic.His trigger was his nintendo switch.He prefers to hug people and even gives his food to the homeless!How many abled bodied teenagers/kids are willing to give their food to the homeless?? Please have compassion for both Joan as well as Brendan.
Jaco van der Walt says
Don’t say the word “Midget” you are demeaning others.
Frank says
These are such bs statements. There were numerous people trying to deescalate, it wasn’t going to happen Deescalation, system failure, gaslighted, etc. are all bs thrown around so folks can feel better that the true victim has been overshadowed by the diminishing of the perpetrator’s actions. Like these terms are some sort of magic pill
“consummate professional can de-escalate and diffuse a situation”
JEK says
This is a tragic story and prison is not the answer.
Celia Pugliese says
Excellent report Pierre that I hope helps to bring a fair outcome for the young man. Also excellent professional post by Gina Weiss.
C’mon man says
Maybe the family of the lady violently attacked should have their side posted. You show a picture of a good loving kid with his mom but let’s not forget he beat and kicked an unconscious woman on the floor.
If prison isn’t the answer due to mental health that’s fine, but lock this guy up on the funny away from the rest of us so we don’t get attacked by a violent psychopath for talking to loud or anything else that may piss him off.
John Yankovich says
I agree, the attacker has mitigating evidence but that doesn’t outweigh the the crime committed on the victim! There has to be accountability!
Kc says
I don’t see anybody advocating for the child to be free to roam the streets. But Justice will not be served through a criminal proceeding.
He needs to be in a supportive environment with people who understand and are able to avoid triggering him. He’s a 5 year old in a man’s body. The school was well aware of how they were supposed to handle him and failed to do a at least once and this was the outcome.
Ilene says
I agree, the system failed Brendan and the paraprofessional. Brendan does NOT belong in prison but he needs to be in an institution where he can be helped.
Mom of Autistic Individual says
It’s really disheartening to hear you say this. He is not a violent psychopath. He is an autistic individual whose needs & care were established yet not honored. Dare I say he was provoked. Should we advocate to “lock you up” for your inability to see the situation for what it actually is?
C’mon man says
Nothing in the article suggests that Mr. Depa should not be held accountable. Do not mislead. Rephrase. Thanks.–FL
@ mom of autistic individual.
I cannot be locked up because I did not assault an over 50 year old woman His actions were violent and has severe mental issues. So if the term violent psychopath offends you then oh well, That’s my opinion.
This article was written painting this sweet picture of a kid who should not be held accountable. He should. And if it’s not jail then it’s a facility that can handle a 6’3 250 pound “kid” with issues severe enough to beat and kick people unconscious.
Zach says
Agreed… He needs to be removed from society and if prison is the only place they can house him then so be it. His disabilities does not outweigh the violent crime that was committed. If he does that for a video game being taken away… what if a 3 year old accidentally steps on his foot, or any other example you can think of. It’s a horrible situation for all families involved, but safety of others should come before his after this violent crime! Taking him out of society is the safest outcome for everyone and himself. We have become a society that caters to the wellbeing of the minority instead of the majority… so hopefully justice in this case prevails in protecting society from Brendan… whatever that outcome looks like unfortunately is more important than the damage he can do if triggered again.
Ilene says
If you read this article you will see no one is diminishing what happened to the paraprofessional. It was terrible and the story was told in National and international news. Everyone was appalled and sadden by what happened to her. However, nowhere in the national news is the story of this young man’s life and the efforts of his parents to get him the help that he needs so that something like this would not happen. His parents kept him out of public schools but the state of Florida thought it would be fine to put him in public high school. They thought if something happened they were only ten minutes away. It definitely was not a fail-safe plan. Brendan does not belong in prison. He needs to be where he can get help with his mental issues.
K says
The “diminishing [of] what happened to the paraprofessional” comes in the shape of wanting to exclude the assailant from standing trial & getting sentenced. Those diagnoses are in no way enough to free him of a sentence. Instead of just focusing on the rights of person, I believe we should look at the obligations of someone living as a free individual. The obligation of one person is the right of another.
I am Swedish, meaning, not as familiar with the US-justice system. My view thou is that it would be unforgivable and unacceptable to have an individual this dangerous walk free. God forbid the woman beaten down was my wife or mother. The lives of those affected will likely never be same.
This: peoples safety, by far. By far – outweights the defendants right to freedom after what happened.
Malcom Warner says
The fact that you exclusively refer to her as “the paraprofessional” shows just how much you diminish her and how meaningless she is to you. You won’t describe her injuries, you won’t talk about the (likely-permanent) neurological damage she has, or the medical care and financial help she now needs. You won’t even say her name: Joan Haydich. She’s not even a person to you, she’s just a job title. You’ll call Brendan by HIS name all day long. HE gets to be humanized. HE gets to have his entire life story told. But Joan? Nope. You won’t even give her the dignity of her own name. She’s just “the paraprofessional” to you.
Jaco van der Walt says
Thank you kindly, this is the response we needed.
It’s not the schools fault, societies fault, or specialized teachers.
He chose his actions, the rest is responsible
Robert Joseph Fortier says
My condolences for all involved.
This is so, so sad.
The place for the best treatment certainly is not Florida.
Breaks my heart…
Doug says
Yes, Ms. Depa shed much-needed light on Brendan’s autism—an unfortunate situation for a young man who will need special care for some time. Jail is not the answer here.
NannyK says
I’m so sorry for this young man and his family. An IEP is a piece of paper a guideline signed off by Education professionals. It in no way protects an individual with any type of physical p
assult. Brendan fell through the cracks, he should not be tried as an adult. Where do I sign, and how can I support the Depa family? Sending up many prayers for everyone affected by this Human Tragedy. 🙏💔
DR says
Just a thought. Most people in our prison systems have brain diseases if you will. Sociopaths who are serial killers. Narcissistic personality disorder for many others most with secondary diagnoses. Do we let them all out too…. It’s sad but some people are dangerous.
Mischa Gee says
It is so sad that this young man is in jail.
I don’t understand how any judge could find him competent to even fully understand what he did wrong in the first place.
Next, I don’t understand why he was charged as an adult, when it is obvious that he doesn’t have adult cognition.
The charges should be dropped, the judge removed from handling these types of cases in the future, and Brendan should be put into either a group home environment or his mom’s custody with a full-time assistant trained in dealing with these forms of disabilities, covered by insurance.
Next, the insurance company or companies that keep refusing to cover Brendan’s needs should be sued in civil court and brought up on criminal charges of grave indifference, and the policy makers should be held accountable. Their refusal to authorize coverage hobbled his family to provide necessary care, I am sure due to the extreme expenses of it, which is why we purchase coverage – to cover those expenses and share the risk.
It is extremely disappointing and frustrating to see our government fail to act and enact laws that would provide for our most vulnerable members of society. The callous way the judge and prosecutors are dealing with Brendan’s situation is heinous and criminal in and of itself.
The injured woman has my sympathy, but it appears to me that if she was properly trained in dealing with Brendan, he probably showed signs that her approach was escalating the situation in the wrong way. Would it have been so terrible to allow Brendan to keep his electronic device and keep him calm and peaceful. I might wager a guess she was focused on her need to be listened to, rather than Brendan’s needs. It’s tragic, may have been avoidable and obvious that Brendan wasn’t the only one at fault. The entire system is failing him now and it’s about time someone did something to set things right and Free Brendan Now.
Dr says
So on the basis of what you are saying, should the parkland shooter be set free too?? He has multiple different diagnoses of brain disorders. Should we set him free to see if he can be properly cared for?? This young man is lucky he did not kill that lady ! It is sad but he is dangerous and it obvious multiple treatments have not helped him. Push the limits and the limits push back. Next time it will be someone’s life.
Pat says
Exactly, being special needs is becoming a card played to escape any sort of responsibility. His own parents couldn’t handle him. Unfortunately he is dangerous imho and to protect society he needs to be locked away.
Pat Stote says
To Pat all I can saw is “Wow” your lack of empathy and understanding is unbelievable. Thankfully most people who responded had much more understanding and compassion than you could be capable of.
Ilene says
I agree!
Duncan says
Pure ignorance! Congratulations, Dr., you have reached the point of being despicable.
Gene Lopes says
What an absurd comparison. The Parkland shooter purchased weapons, planned an attack, executed his plan and is able to help with his defense. Mr. Depa spontaneously responded to something that the school knew was a trigger.
Ilene says
Exactly my thoughts.! I agree there is a world of difference between someone planning to murder people and an Autistic child reacting violently to well documented triggers.
Maggie says
“Spontaneously responded”? Maybe next time he is going to ‘spontaneously’ kill somebody?
A lot of people would change their positive opinions, if the victim was their daughter, mother or sister. The family tried very hard to help Mr. Depa, but they have failed, and that’s not their fault. Agression, hate, devilish actions and violence should always be punished. Praying for the innocent victim.
Ban Ron says
Comical how in America we provide no health support, no income support, no educational support especially for kids with disabilities, then if one acts up people are out for punishment. Everything including the justice system and healthcare depend on how much is in your bank account. I get that Repubklicans see no profit in helping others so screw them but to charge this kid as an adult is just wrong but hey thats what happens when you vote for fascists.
Question: If the Orange guy doesnt go to prison doesnt that prove critial race theory is absolutley true and accurate?
Pat says
How can you say that? The parents get disability for their special needs kids, schools/taxpayers fund entire special Ed departments.
Mischa Gee says
Do you know what the disability benefit for someone who doesn’t work happens to be? It is the minimum SSDI benefit, which once his Medicare premium is removed is less than $1000.
When he s that amount of money anywhere near what the costs are to take care of a special needs person in America today. I’ll tell you when, never.
And apparently school taxes aren’t funding the highest caliber special Ed departments. You can’t get the best unless you are willing to pay for the best.
When are the people in this country going to realize we need to reform our Federal Income Tax structure and start making sure the billionaires and 100millionaires pay their fair share. People who earn less than $200,000 a year for an individual and $350,000 for a small family are hearing the load. Anyone earning less is struggling, while those earning more pay less than them.
We need to take care of the least of us, and that means providing places where they can reside in safety and get the proper care that every human being deserves.
We have failed as a society and the lack of compassion, understanding and caring is shameful.
Flager Momma says
I could not get thru this article without crying… I sympathize in SO many ways. I truly feel saddened by what happened and wish a very speedy recover to the victim. I did see her the other day and glad to see she seemed well and happy. I wish her continued healing, physically and mentally.
This boy has been failed in SO many ways, big pharma, Drs pushing pills, horrible lack of decent resources in this state, negligence from the school system, so many levels of failure. even worse SO many negative, one-sided people who are quick to comment nasty, derogatory, even racial slurs at this boy – YES BOY, he is not an adult yet.
we need to start raising our voices, ESE children NEED better accommodations all-around!!! – at Board of Ed meetings, city council meetings, etc.. We need better pay for ESE teachers and paras! this can just go on and on…
#SpreadkindnessNOThate
Frank says
What kind of accommodation can be made for when a 200+ pound kid goes on a rampage? The only option would be to have another 200+ pound person to follow him around and restrain him when necessary. I see comments like “the system failed” or “need more resouces” but I never see any that state how that would functionally do anything. For whatever reasons, be it mental, evil, drugs etc., some people need to be isolated from society period.
Jennifer says
My heart breaks for everyone involved. Brendan needs to be in a secure therapeutic environment protecting him from him self and the general public. BUT he does NOT belong in jail. With an established emotional maturity of a 4-6 year old, he could not have the capacity to understand the gravity of his actions. He did commit a criminal act, but his multiple diagnoses clearly diminished his ability to act with complete criminal intent and that should be heavily considered by the state’s attorney and the judge. What I struggle to understand is how the school is legally unable to disclose the child’s diagnoses yet legally able to release the video footage of an underage student to the media. This incongruence contributed to a media frenzy that depicted the situation as an entitled teenager angry over the loss of an electronic device. This incomplete narrative has led to the public persecution of a boy with severe special needs.
For those interested in autism and the criminal justice system, this article is extremely informative.
https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/criminal-justice/autism-and-the-criminal-justice-system/
Cecily Spencer says
As the mother of children similar to her son I find this appalling. He does not function as a competent adult and should not be in this situation.
Bonnie Rasmussen says
I don’t understand how the judge could find somebody who has level 3 autism competent to stand trial. Does the judge even understand what autism level 3 means? This young man will never be able to live independently, but the judge somehow thinks he can assist in his own defense!!! This young man needs help & not jail.
Amy Brun says
The story is so incredibly heartbreaking. This is someone’s child, grandchild and sibling. It was clear that this child should not have been any school in the first place. He should have stayed where he was safe and those around him were safe, which was at ECHO. The hoops his family had to go through to get him on the correct medication is unacceptable. The system has failed Brendan and hopefully can get him into a facility where he is safe. Jail is not the answer.
As someone who works with kids with disabilities I see so many cracks in the system. We need to do better. Please find Brendan a place where he is safe and can get the help he needs.
Kathy Grassett says
What a terrible tragedy. But there are two sides to every story and I hope people read this one. As a mother to an autistic child, though level 1, with impulse control disorder, pathological demand avoidance, kleptomania, and anxiety, I’m constantly worried that he will get arrested for something. Despite medications, therapy, and other resources and support, it’s still a struggle to live in a neurotypical world. We have to force him into a world that doesn’t understand him, that isn’t conducive to the way he needs to think, learn, and live. He doesn’t understand why he does the things he does. It’s terrifying. And while no one deserves what happened here, the system failed this young man. This is not the right outcome for him. My heart goes out to both families.
Melissa Cooper says
If only people would seek to understand how challenging and diverse Autism can be, they would have such a better grasp how to help and work with kiddos and Adults on the Spectrum.
I feel that anyone that works with people on the Spectrum should be required by law to attend workshops, read certain informative books and literature, and gain a better understanding on the unique ways that those on the Spectrum function.
I have completely dove down deep in the past 8 weeks into trying to understand….more. I have been doing this deal with my son for the past 15 years. This year has been painful for all of us. I have searched to comprehend and understand the history, neuro-biology, psychiatry, psychology and therapies on everything having to do with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I, myself, along with my 2 other children are ADHD. We have a spirited house to say the least. I have found that I also have so many of the same challenges and ways of thinking, masking, and over the top sensory integration challenges that I have struggled with. I so know that so many of the diagnostic criteria overlaps with ADHD…if only everyone seemed to understand.
My heart breaks to hear of your story. None of this is ok. The powers that be, including the person that conducted the competency hearing, really need to be enlightened on the most recent research and data that helps people understand that so many are able to mask their ASD. My son is amazing at it.
I am hear cheering for your son and family from Washington State.
Pat says
I cannot believe the bs here, does he have to kill someone before he is locked away to protect civilized society?
Mischa Gee says
Pat, your lack of understanding this situation is astounding, but sadly not uncommon. No one, in clouding Brendan’s mother, thinks he should be released from prison to total freedom.
Prison is not a place for people with mental development disorders. Brendan was born with a mind that sadly will never function normally and so he needs the help of professionals who truly understand that kindness, patience and compassion will be instrumental in Brendan being able to survive in a world he doesn’t nor will he ever completely understand.
Concerned Citizens says
This is a very tragic situation. My heart hurts for all concerned – especially the paraprofessional and all who care about her. She is certainly a victim who did not deserve any of this. This should have never happened. My heart hurts for the other students and faculty who may feel unsafe in a space where they are supposed to feel safe, and everyone who cares for them. And my heart hurts for the young boy who is being charged as an adult – and all who care about him. And my heart hurts for those but for the Grace of God, are fighting similar situations because their loved ones suffer from severe mental illness. My heart hurts for this community.
There are so many youth, young adults, and adults who struggle with mental health issues. MOST do not involve situations that escalate to this level – but MANY do. Incarcerating the individuals – especially the youth – has not and will not make these situations less volatile, will not allow students, teachers, people to be safer. And undoubtably, advocating for more and better-equipped facilities; advocating for more feasible insurance plans (that would allow access to such facilities) – are indeed, big picture goals. But in the shorter term, ensuring safeguards, and protocols that are established and known to work are followed would be a huge help. Providing routine trainings in de-escalation and appropriate responses to these type of situations would aid tremendously in keeping others safe.
This young boy is one of many. He has an array of some really tough mental health disorders. He should be admitted to an environment where the focus is mental health and stability. He has a history of medication changes that would make one’s brain spin – to try to understand. He needs an environment where his medicinal needs, as well as supports to address his behavioral needs are readily available and accessible.
The acts this young boy committed in February of this year are horrifying. They were committed by a very large and very strong boy. But they were not acts of a monster. He is not a monster. He is simply (and very complicatedly) ill – mentally ill. He is a young boy and he is mentally ill. And he is one of many. My heart hurts.
Gene Lopes says
We live in strange times. Up will sometimes be seen as down, right becomes someone’s left, a comment about the hot weather can turn into a political debate about climate change (sometimes it’s just a hot day). In the week following the incident at Matanzas High School, all of Palm Coast, Flagler, Florida and later the world, watched something unimaginable to most of us, the beating of a paraprofessional by a student. I think it is safe to say that very few of us, including myself, looked beyond what we saw with our own eyes in that video. We saw a very large person beating on a defenseless woman. At that point, rightfully so, our concerns were with the well-being of Ms. Naydich and our outrage and anger were directed at her assailant, Brendan Depa.
Now after reading this account of Brendan’s life by his mother Leanne, we need to take a deeper look at what happened and wonder whether it is possible to be horrified by what we saw, continue to feel complete empathy and compassion toward Ms. Naydich while also seeing Brendan Depa as a victim of a system that doomed him to failure. As a retired special education teacher of 30 years and a 20 year adjunct professor of future special education teachers, it should not have taken this heartbreaking account of Brendan’s life for me to realize that all of these can be true.
Ms. Naydich did nothing that remotely warranted this happening to her. I was blessed with 30 years of working with the best paraprofessionals anyone could ever hope to have as a teacher. I would go as far to say that often my success in the classroom was directly tied to the person (or persons) working beside me. In my opinion, paraprofessional is the hardest and most under-appreciated job in the school. Just think about having a job that is so often defined by a student’s day and not by the work you did throughout the day. A student’s good days are expected but a bad day is questioned, “what did you do?” How would any of us feel knowing our work may be evaluated based on someone else’s day?
Over my 30 years, I have probably worked with more than 100 students with autism or behavioral disorders. During this time, I have been kicked, punched, spit on, bitten, had a desk thrown at me, had a computer smashed on my feet, cursed, screamed at (once by a parent), along with many smaller incidents. Most times these behaviors were the result of a student having a bad day, sometimes they were the result of other students inciting a student and on more than a few occasions they were the result of something I did. I never intentionally set out to upset a kid but sometimes my good intentions blew up in my face. For the record, I loved my job and miss it every day.
It is important that everyone understand that an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is not just “guidelines” that we can use when working with classified students, but is a legal document that teachers and schools are required to follow with each individual student. So, in a self-contained class each student will have a completely different IEP. Sometimes it feels like we are juggling chainsaws but most days talented teachers and their paras figure how to make it work.
I don’t in any way want to blame any individual in what happened at Matanzas HS but simply put, Brendan should never have had an electronic device at school. I have not seen his IEP, but if Leanne’s description of it is correct (and we have no reason to believe it isn’t), the IEP not only said, no electronics but also explained in detail why he shouldn’t have them. As a grandparent, I often see this same behavior in my young grandkids. I am sure that no one anticipated the degree of Brendan’s response but a response should have been expected.
(As an aside, I did sub at Matanzas HS. The second day I was there, I asked a student to put away his phone. His response was to curse at me, move his desk to a wall, plug his phone into an outlet and walk out of the room. In my wisdom, I decided to take the phone and put it in the teacher’s desk . His reaction was as expected, more cursing and physically trying to pry open the desk through me. This happened in front of 35 other students. I gave him the phone and he left the room. There is no doubt in my mind that he would have punched me to get the phone if I didn’t relent.
In 2025, we will celebrate 50 years since the landmark legislation called the Education For All Handicapped Children’s Act, now known as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This law recognized that every child, regardless of his/her disability is entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education. It not only protected the students but also protected the rights of parents (sound familiar Florida?). The law was intended to make all states, counties and school districts responsible for the well-being of all of our children. The question needs to be asked, did we fulfill this responsibility to Brendan Depa and are we continuing to punish him for having autism by locking him in a jail cell alone for 23 hours a day?
Incarcerating a young man with the emotional maturity of a 5 or 6 year old does nothing to heal Ms. Naydich’s physical or mental scars and does not make society safer. It can be a valuable lesson to all school districts that we need to do a better job caring for our students with disabilities which will also make our teachers and paraprofessionals safer. Brendan Depa, like so many others, is a product of a system that is overwhelmed and understaffed. The Depa family seems to have done everything humanly possible to help Brendan, only to run into bureaucracy and roadblocks that forced them to send him 3 hours from home and into a public school system unprepared to meet his unique needs.
It is time that the judicial system finds a safer and more therapeutic setting for Brendan. And I need to be completely honest in saying that I don’t know what that setting is. We also need to understand that Brendan is presumed innocent at this point and may soon be back in our community. Are we preparing him to reenter society by depriving him of contact with other people? I speak from 30 years of experience when I say that Brendan is not a lost cause. He is a 17 year old boy who needs our help. Let’s continue to pray for the wellbeing of Ms. Naydich but also raise our voices to get Brendan and his family the assistance they need.
Gene Lopes
Milllburn Special Education Teacher (retired)
Adjunct Professor – Kean University (retired)
Mischa Gee says
Thank you for your insight and understanding of what a person with autism’s life can be like. Regardless of Brendan’s actual age, his mind will always be attenuated and likely frozen at a child’s level of understanding.
It is obvious the young man dies not belong in prison and as you stated getting him into a living situation where he can live safely may not be simple or easy, but I believe as you said, we shouldn’t be punishing Brendan for being born with autism. This is not something that can be cured, and is difficult to understand. As an educated and enlightened society we owe Brendan and others with diminished capacity better care and compassion than he has been recieving.
You could be a witness for his defense in order to bring some education and enlightenment from a professional with the experience and understanding of what it’s like, without being personally involved in his life. A real perspective without being family.
Jim says
To Leanne Depa – there are very, very few people in this world that I would call a hero. But you are certainly one of them. The dedication, perseverance, and sacrifice that you have undertaken to care for a deeply unwell foster-turned-adopted child is incredible.
Not Convinced says
He deserves to be in prison and by him being your son, you’re responsible for what happened.
Take accountability.
Eugene Lopes says
Your complete lack of compassion and empathy is not surprising since you did not put your name on this.
Alcalino says
I read the story of a madman who has been deceived for years and you want us to have compassion and empathy, we already gave it to him and he exhausted it, God exists but even he has a limit.
Eugene Lopes says
Your lack of understanding about autism is unfortunately not surprising, Your statement about God having a limit does not seem to be about ANY god I have ever learned about. The God I learned about was all about forgiveness. You might want to take a look at your bible.
Alcalino says
The Bible is not the truth, it did not come down from heaven and I gave them to men, they were written by MEN!
Mischa Gee says
Then why did you mention God at all.
This boy, and yes he is a boy will only ever have the mind and understanding of a child. He was born that way. It disgusts me and many others that you and other supposedly normal minded people , children we to remain ignorant of these facts. This young man should be in a facility where he can live a life that is not full of frightening real criminals and he the care that he needs.
I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the heartless people who have responded with nasty, rude and ignorant remarks , don’t believe in abortion, but won’t accept responsibility for people who once they are actually born will need help their entire lives. God help you and those who may wind up needing help in your futures. May you run into the same callous responses when you reach out for assistance.
Carlee G says
As a nurse, I’ve been beat up by my patients. I will say 99% of the time they’re not competent, and I would never want someone who didn’t understand to go to jail, BUT it really hurts to get kicked in the face. So that being said, while I agree jail is not the best choice, where could he go to keep other people safe? I understand you love him and you want people to understand him but how do you control him. He obviously is extremely violent and by your own admission it’s been something that been going on for a while. I’m going to guess by this time drs have tried a bunch of different cocktails and did wonder if he was born addicted to something. We have a foster (barbiturates) child that I’m concerned about similar behaviors. You have tried. You’ve advocated. But the sad truth is mental health facilities have closed down, State funding is pretty much gone and private insurances treat mental illness as a joke. There are not a lot of options.
Brendan’s Mom says
I understand your concern. Florida does struggle with how it manages people with developmental & intellectual disabilities or mental illness. There are not enough services.
He was in an intensive behavioral group home for 2 years and they managed him by knowing his triggers, having rules & a schedule that was structured as well as predictable. They were trained in behavioral modification & deescalation techniques.
Unfortunately, the public school system lacked the resources to manage him.
Tonya says
My heart goes out to the victim, she was brutally attacked and I can only imagine the physical and emotional scars that she has to overcome. When I initially watched the video, I was screaming at my computer. “What the crap is wrong with him,” “Oh, he need to be locked up,” and all sorts of other things. However, after reading this article from his mother, I now understand. He is also a victim, a different type of victim, but a victim nonetheless. And though I do not believe he deserves to be in jail or tried as an adult, he does not need to be out free among the public at large. He needs to be in a controlled facility with trained professionals. I pray for the healing of both sides.
Kim says
I am shocked at the relative lack of responsibility and accountability from the parents.
This article left me with a lump in my throat. That teacher might never be the same. The video of this beating is absolutely horrifying.
I have been involved with competitive boxing for 8+ years and wanted to write what I have observed: That beatings far more mild than this has on many occasions changed people for life.
Too much of a risk was taken already.
An environment with a person like this will always be a potential risk. I hope the sentence matches the crime. And that both parts can heal in the end.
Kc says
Agree
Mischa Gee says
You need to read the article again. This boy’s adoptive parents have tried repeatedly to get Brendan the help he has required to be able to function in some capacity in this world. They have done everything they could including put him in a group home hours away, which was heartbreaking for them, but they thought would be the best for him.
He may not be able to live outside of a monitored facility, but a prison is no place for a child suffering from a life if diminished capacity.
Nicole Williams says
As someone who is familiar with the field of psychology, the school system, and special education…this whole situation is unbelievable. I know how broken the system can be, some students with an IEP are initially assessed when they are 6 and then never assessed again unless a persistent teacher or involved parent pushes for reassessment. This student will never go to college (even if this incident did not happen) because he was most likely on the Access Points curriculum, which does not gain a student a college ready diploma. He was probably doomed for misfortune before he was placed with his adoptive parents and should probably be assessed for Reactive Attachment Disorder.
However, I believe he should face the consequences for his actions. If the prison system is not an appropriate setting for him, and maybe it’s not, then he should be institutionalized by the state. Just because he doesn’t understand his behaviors or how to regulate them does not give him a free pass to do as he pleases in society. I also do not believe he should be the only one facing charges.
I believe his teacher and paraprofessional, as well as the school administrators, should be investigated for their misconduct regarding the implementation and adjustments to the students IEP. I believe the ECHO program should be investigated for releasing the students property to the school in a way that they knew could produce triggering situations and lead to behavioral escalation. I believe the hospital he was in for treatment prior to being released to ECHO should be investigated for medical maltreatment with medications. Finally, I believe the parents should be investigated for medical neglect and mental/emotional abuse for inconsistencies in schooling, medications, and placement.
Just my thoughts. On another note, I believe the two instances of violence mentioned towards the end of the article (both also involved ECHO) should be investigated again for both criminal charges and mismanagement by agencies involved.
Mischa Gee says
For the most part, I agree. The system and it’s representatives, doctors, hospitals, and school professionals failed to follow the protocols put in place in order for Brendan to even have a chance to function in a classroom successfully.
Jason Martinez says
Can’t believe how parents can be in such denial when their child has special needs. They were neglecting there son’s needs period. This is 100% the parent’s fault they should face charges as well.
Eugene Lopes says
Where in any of this story do you see parents in denial? Your comment is inaccurate, insensitive and incredibly mean. It continues to amaze me that people will use this platform to pontificate on a subject they know absolutely nothing about. This comment makes me wonder about whether or not you even read the story. The Depa’s did everything in their power to get the help they needed to support their son. The state and the system failed everyone in this case.
James K. says
I don’t care “why” someone commits a horribly violent and malicious crime against an innocent person! Only that they did… Most people who commit crimes of this nature have mental problems. That doesn’t excuse their behavior nor does it excuse this young man’s. He needs to be removed from society for a long, long time! Whether in a mental facility that’s also a jail or jail itself. But he must be removed from society and serve a long sentence for what he did. Period, end of story!
Deirdre says
People who call this child an animal and other insulting terms have ZERO comprehension of what autism is, it’s a mental illness, and violent outbursts are part of that disability. If this was schizophrenia, would the reaction be the same? What about Alzheimer’s, which also often involves violent outbursts. People know what’s involved in these disorders but not as much about autism.
Some autistic students are nonverbal, there’s many degrees severity of this disability. Obviously this student had an extreme version, or he wouldn’t have needed a paraprofessional in the first place. It has nothing to do with being smart or not, this is an emotional aspect of this illness.
Even if he had killed her, he still wouldn’t be responsible for his actions as he doesn’t understand them. Thank God this didn’t happen to another student! People that work in the schools, especially with this population, understand this; it goes with the turf.
IF Mrs. Depa hasn’t apologized to the family or offered them money, it’s likely because their lawyer is telling them to stay out of it personally until it gets into the courtroom.
I have heard there was a GoFundMe account that had a lot of money in it for the paraprofessional, which is wonderful, maybe she won’t have to continue working at this job or one like it, I seriously doubt she would want to. They are not paid nearly enough in the first place for the work they do.
I’m sure the schools have also been told to not discuss this until it gets to court. NOT ONE person has said that this kid should be just set free to walk around in the community or come back to school, you would think that was the case by some of these comments.
One way or another this kid isn’t going to be free (for the rest of his life) to integrate with society after this incident. Prison just isn’t the right place under these circumstances, there should be no question about that.
The same situation has happened repeatedly worldwide with autistic people, they just didn’t get the attention this one did. It happens all the time – research it. Not the first time it’s happened in Flagler County schools either, just the first time it’s been noticed in the world stage.
Jaco van der Walt says
He attacked an inmate recently. LOL
May he account for the atrocities.
No nintendo for him
Mischa Gee says
He’s a boy regardless of his physical size, with the mind of a 6 year old child. He was held in solitary confinement for an cruelly extended period of time, which would make a man with average mental capacity crazy.
Now he’s being surrounded by grown men, of whom he is probably scared to death, doesn’t understand what is happening or why and you, you mental midget, make fun of him!
The lack of compassion or any attempt to actually read , look up things you may not understand yourself , is disheartening to say the least.
This young man needs to be placed in a facility that will help him live as quiet and stress free life as possible. The world of allegedly normal people is to cruel and heartless for those with permanent diminished capabilities to understand it.
Shame on everyone of you people who have and don’t want to have empathy or compassion for those that are trapped in a mind that doesn’t function like yours. This is a defect that is not this young man’s fault, his adoptive parents have tried to get him the proper health care he needs.
The insurance industry is callous toward people with all types of mental health issues, especially those that are life long. We as a society, that claims to have Christian values, should want to do better in caring for those who will never be able to fully care for themselves. If you have experienced or have knowledge of someone who is losing their ability to cope in the world due to Alzheimer’s or dementia, this is worse, in that this poor young man, through no fault of his own, has similar diminished understanding, and will never be like you or me.
He deserves mercy, love and understanding, not more suffering. His spirit is trapped in a mind that will never quite be right, isn’t that punishment enough?!
Edward says
Love that while blindly advocating someone with a mental disability you toss out a term like “mental midget” to insult someone else.
You’re a true knight of the round, you are. Golf claps for you.
Mischa Gee says
Sorry, NOT sorry. Anyone who would Laugh Out Loud at this tragedy, in my opinion, is what I called him and more.
I am not Blind to the facts of this case. Apparently, you are.
Gabriel says
It’s a relief the teacher aide didn’t have her neck snapped and killed. He could have easily ended her life if he just strangled her.
Society must be protected says
Dude almost killed a teacher. No sympathy for him, if he is autistic and dangerous lock him up in a mental hospital or at home, you let him out into society, meaning you don’t know how to care for him and he doesn’t know how to behave. Dangerous menace, lock him up for the whole 30 and try and find a “cure” during that time, can’t let him roam wild if he gets triggered and then innocents are gonna die, because this could’ve easily been a dead teacher, mother, wife, and why? because you want to feel better about yourselves?
Anonymous says
Agree. Most everyone in prison for violence has some form of mental illness or “neurodivergence”. Yes it is sad that nobody was able or willing to properly help Brendan who was probably abused and neglected beyond comprehension as an infant (likely due to the cultural problem in a *certain community* that we are supposed to pretend doesn’t exist), BUT that doesn’t mean innocent people should be subjected to his presence in the real world, which is quite obviously a serious danger.
Ben says
Sounds like the posturing of a failed mother who wants to place the blame on anyone and anything other than herself and her family.
Mischa Gee says
Sounds like the posturing of an ignorant person, who prefers to remain so, in order to justify a ridiculous judgement of a loving parent who has been advocating for a child who has clearly been assessed with severe autism.
In my humble opinion, based on your statement, you wish your parents loved you the way Brendan’s love him and you’re lashing out in anger at them, through this family’s suffering.
How sad for you. Your statement is needlessly mean and completely unwarranted.
KC says
A couple of concerns:
The emergency room, should not used as a doctors appointment/medication adjustment/psyche appointment, anti-psychotics, mood stabilizers, etc., take not only time to start to work, there is much thought into what is the best medication that each individual should be given, while weighing risks vs benefits. If the parents were noticing side effects, medication not working, etc., then they should have reconsulted/followed up with the prescribing doctor, not an ER physician who is unaware of his history. It’s incredibly inappropriate and unfair to individuals who actually need emergency care and are waiting hours to see a doctor.
Second issue: my son has an IEP, much thought goes into this legal document. I find it bizarre and incredibly inappropriate that he supposedly has in his IEP that he is allowed to play video games (even though the mother above stated that he issues with understanding reality vs what is playing a game, he should not have access to such devices) why is he in school if he is playing video games during class? Isn’t that counter productive? Also, Brendan playing video games would be a distraction to the other students. If Brendan is unable to control his emotions and cannot respect authority or follow guidelines/rules then he should not be placed around innocent children and adults. Adults should be able to tell him no or hold him accountable for his actions. It is not the teacher who was brutalized and beaten fault, because she removed a device causing distractions. In learning environments students are not allowed to have cellphone, iPads, gaming devices, etc., the half hearted concern for the teacher is distasteful, your concerned for her wellbeing and wish it didn’t happen but she should have followed his IEP and let him play video games while at school. Absolutely not! It was not her fault, if he can’t follow rules then he should be in a setting where he cannot harm people.
Brendan’s Mom says
We were advised by our son’s psychiatrist to take him to the ER during crisis. It is how they Baker Act. Each time I requested the facility psychiatrist consult with his primary psychiatrist, but that did not happen.
My concern for the Joan is sincere, as is our entire family, including our extended family. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have concern for Brendan as well.
I told the school about removal of electronics being a trigger so that he would not be allowed to have them in school. For the 1st 2 years he was at Mantazas, they were not used in school. He had a new teacher this year who requested the group home send it in to use as a motivator. She did away with the token economy system & switched to electronics, allowing students to use their phones when done with their work. My son did not have a phone & she specifically asked for his Nintendo Switch to be sent to school. The group home had concerns but allowed it with very strict guidelines that were not followed. Neither I nor the IEP team was aware that the teacher started using his trigger as a motivator. The behavioral plan was also not followed. The article has an exact copy of what was in his IEP & Behavioral Plan. You are right, a lot of thought goes into the IEP. His IEP team had a lot of professionals, including therapists & behavioral analysts both from the school & his private ones. Using electronics as a motivator would never have been approved by the IEP team.
Sancal says
Kids with mental disorders like this should not be allowed to play violent video games or even watch anything violent on television, YouTube, etc they have to be closely monitored. I have a couple friends with autistic sons and they kept their kids away from it. I guess now while being locked away for 30 years he will not have those privileges. I’m sorry for the parents as they were not guided properly as how dangerous violent video games can be for the mentally challenged.
Brendan’s mom says
Brendan was living in a group home 2 1/2 hours away from us for the past 2 years. We saw him monthly & as far as I am aware, all of his games were rated E for everyone. The video games were a source of comfort, & socialization for a kid who lived in a group home. They never should have been used at school as a motivator. It didn’t make sense to use someone’s source of comfort (trigger when removed) as a motivator. The decision to use his Nintendo was made by the 1st year teacher without me or the IEP team members in the loop.
Edward says
So, basically, you knew full well what this device meant to the kid, and what would happen as a result if he lost it… and you just, what, didn’t bother to check that he was bringing it to school? You have a Level 3 Autistic child under your roof, with easy triggers, and you’re not more involved with what he is and is not bringing to a public school with him?
Does that not make this DIRECTLY your responsibility?
Brendan’s mom says
As I previously stated, Brendan lived in a group home & was not living at home. I was upfront with the school about the issue with electronics & it was in his IEP. The school did not ask my permission to use his trigger as a motivator. His teacher, who was a first year teacher, ignored the legal contract of the IEP & asked the group home to send it. Neither I nor the IEP team would have consented to it being brought to school.
Kary says
This is a sad situation for all involved. Yes the kid should be held accountable but I’m not sure what the consequences should be. However, 30 years in jail is not the outcome for this kid. I don’t have answers but I hope this situation is handled in a way that works for all. And I hope the school system learns from this.
Lianne Luu says
Reading this mothers unconditional love and dedication to helping her son through all of life’s obstacles was really moving.
I don’t know what the right course of action is, but just wanted to commend her for her capacity to understand her son and his condition, while many other parents would consider it to be a burden.
I hope the teacher is also doing ok. As a former teacher myself, the situation sounds horrifying. I can’t even begin to imagine being a parent, having to hear that your beloved child harmed someone.
Zach says
This is truly a tragedy for all families involved. Buttttttttt… Brendan has proven time and time again that he cannot be with the general public. I understand he has a disability, but it doesn’t take away from what he did. He is a clear danger to society and he should not have free access to ever hurt again. This would have been much worse if this happened when they were alone, because obviously he has no control over himself. I pray for peace for all families involved… and I pray Brendan is removed from society for protection of himself and others.
John says
I am horrified that this kind of thing has happened and I feel for the victims not the perpetrator. This kid is capable of tremendous violence, as proven. He is a danger to anyone around him. He learned to be violent somewhere…
Unfortunately, it likely has to do with his upbringing. Autistic, mental issues, depression or whatever the excuse is that I see in this page… The people who raised him have influenced this outcome. Hey, if you’re a parent you’ve done this too… today, parents let electronics, video games, and social media raise their kids it’s insanely easy to do. And those things are mentioned here and in other things I’ve read. I have to think that this is probably a large contributor to his behavior. I think that kids need way less time with these things, especially when they lack maturity as stated in this article. That is the responsibility of those in his charge since he is unable to police himself.
These games and devices rule kids lives and will distort their view of reality. There is usually little to no supervision over this kind of thing and in this case, with someone as described here with a mind of a very young child and does not understand the consequences of his actions. He has likely learned how to behave from these games and many of them are likely violent in some way. Some games are massively violent and with a weak mind… it’s a recipe for disaster.
Robert Drennan says
He should be, at the very least, committed to an institution for the remainder of his natural life. He is clearly a threat to society. Also, it appears parents love to blame a disability for ANY action their nearly full grown spawns take, up to and including assault and murder… which is WHY they’ve escalated to this level. Nonetheless, this guy is a clear and present danger who needs to be taken out of society and placed in a facility that can keep the public safe from these insane and atrocious actions.
Barney says
JMHO..The Dx of being on the “Autism Spectrum” should NOT be used to try and justify what this 17 yo did. He viciously attached another person, and would have killed her, if he had not been pulled away. Regardless of the Dx, he is dangerous, and punishment should NOT waiver. With his history, he should have never been put into a “public education” facility. My nephew received the same Dx., but my SIL refused to put him on medication. He was homeschooled, and his treatment was NOT medication. Behavior therapy, without medication, works better than the Big Pharma solutions that physicians/therapists love to dole out like candy, but handing out a prescription is easier on the physician/therapist/family. My nephew had horrible anger fits, and my BIL & SIL dealt with them at home, without medication, but with a lot of prayer. My nephew is now 25, holds down a Supervisor position, bought his own car, and bought his own home. Someone commented to someone else’s post about their attitude on this case about them thinking “guilty until proven innocent.” To that person I say, the video is proof of guilt, and a “mental” disorder does not make him innocent. Anyone that would attach someone with that kind of rage IS mentally ill, regardless if it is Dx or not. All too often, bad behavior is tolerated or explained away by the Dx of Autism, and that is a big mistake.
Mischa Gee says
Your nephew must be able to better comprehend what is going on in his life beyond the mind of a six year old understanding. That is why they call it the autism spectrum. It depends where on the spectrum he is, how capable he will be to live and work in society. Brendan sadly would never be a candidate to supervise others. This has nothing to do with him being spoiled. It has more to do with a country, and insurance industry, and an educational system that isn’t geared to him or people like him, to properly help them throughout their lives.
Ronald Reagan dismantled our government assisted mental health facilities and the mentally ill have been relegated to living on the streets as homeless or wind up in jails – which are not equipped to provide the kind of care that these people, not just Brandon need. Shame on us.
Jimmy Tanz says
The major problem begins when the “empathy” that this mother asks for, becomes a way of life for that individual. And i strongly suspect that it was a way of life for him -cause of the family’s love- and he “abused” that privilege.
People with Psychological and Mental issues, should not be treated like something different than a human being. When we start acting like they are different, or entitled, or even we do not consider them to be guilty of anything, because we think that they are vulnerable, they know, they understand and they find ways to abuse that tactic. When he was in a controlled environment, everyone was relatively safe, him included. But the society is not functioning in that safe circle. The neighbourhood, the school, the activities, the marketplace etc, are NOT testing grounds of the behaviour of any individual.
No one taught to that enormous 6″6 (2m) 270 pounds (123kg) “kid”, that every word, every move, every step comes with consequences. Just because he was in the spectrum with psychological issues, he was always protected and nourished. That is good but at the same hand, that is extremely dangerous (as proven)!
The problem was NOT the school’s policy on electronics, nor the teacher that said that if he kept playing, she would take the device. The problem is that the family who (as stated lots of times in the mother’s post) loves him very much, never taught him discipline and didn’t prevent him acting like privileged man because of his condition(s).
Lastly… I agree that 30 years in prison is a lot of time and at the same time the wrong approach for that individual. But… Just take another look at that video! What do you think? This was not a simple aggravated or violent reaction to something! This was BRUTAL! He was stomping her, punching her and kicking with all his might! 5 people were not able to restrain him! And as for the video of his arrest… Yeh! He seems to know exactly what he did and why he is being arrested! Place yourself in the place of Mrs. Naydich.
If that incident goes unpunished or maybe punished by a slap on the hand approach, what will the next thing be???
Mischa Gee says
The very idea that you think you know that Brendan’s parents didn’t attempt to discipline him is absurd.
Loving someone doesn’t mean spoiling them. They did everything they were advised to do by medical professionals along they way, including placing him in a group home, where it seemed he was doing well, until they decided, to send him to school.
It appears that having the mental understanding of a six year old, was somehow overlooked, maybe because his size made the assistant forget his mental age and his trigger. No one will ever really know why Brendan snapped. Just that when he did, because of his size he seriously injured the assistant in his class.
This boy is forever punished by living with a brain incapable of advancing beyond a six year old and should be in a facility where they can help him live a life without worrying about him ever functioning as a adult, because he never will.
Jail and a not that place. An institution that is geared to help him live what would be a normal life for him, is the humane, compassionate, enlightened thing to do.
Mischa Gee says
To the person who said, “He should be given the death penalty. What has he contributed to society anyway .”
I ask you, “What have you, or most any of us, contributed to society? Have you found a cure for cancer or diabetes. Did you invent a product that can cure dementia?” I’m sure the answer is a resounding NO.
You have, by the statements you made, informed us of your ignorance of what autism is, and lack of compassion for others. I’ll bet, if your bothered to actually read this article, you didn’t understand half of what you read, and didn’t bother to research it, so that you would.
I’ll even go out in a limb, based on your self righteousness, that you’re a self professed Christian who is against abortion, but has no feeling or concern for the unaborted child born with mental or physical defects. Hypocrites abound on this post. America is devolving everyday, you’re a sign if it.
Deirdre says
Nazis murdered disabled people and others they felt didn’t contribute to society or their aryan race. Apparently that feeling is still alive today based on some of the comments made here – heartless, ignorant hypocrites.
William Stonehocker says
Being autistic myself, Brendan Depa needs help. Florida is the worst state ever because they are not geared for someone like him.
William Schreiner says
Leanne,
We’ll likely never meet. Thank you for taking the time to write this article. To navigate the issues you’ve touched upon so elegantly with such humility is a near impossible feat – yet you have done so.
Please know that I and countless other thinking men and women know of the largely thankless work you do. Foster parents with pure motives are the heros of society. You/yours are heros. THANK YOU.
My thoughts are with you as you navigate the future…
Your friend,
William Schreiner
Anon says
The story is quite touching and I do feel for him now..
However, tbh, with the current state of things – how do I know that this isn’t just an article written by Brendan’s lawyers to gain some sympathy points
Rob says
Even if you sympathize with Brendan’s mental condition, you have to acknowledge that he is dangerous. He committed another assault on an inmate since this piece was published. It’s bad enough that he has violent tendencies, but he is built like a professional football player. Brendan easily could have beaten that woman to death and her children would be doomed to spend the rest of their lives wondering why their mother had to die over a videogame console. So perhaps 30 years in prison isn’t the answer, but Brendan more than likely cannot be trusted to behave normally in a school or work environment. There’s too much of a risk of someone else getting hurt or killed.
Anonymous says
I’m shaking after reading this piece. I am responding to several points without order.
I am a parent of an autistic child with a history of violent aggression and co-morbid conditions, including severe epilepsy and intense anxiety. My child is on several first and second-generation antipsychotics, among other medications, and receives weekly ECT (electroconvulsive therapy treatments) to manage the aggression. For those unfamiliar, ECT is a widely used treatment modality, on a short-term basis, for depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. My child will have ECT for life. I am glad for this treatment because, in concert with medication, my child can live at home with our family.
The situation Brendan is in, his experiences, his family’s current dilemmas, and the overwhelming public reaction against him speak to the sad state of disability rights in the United States today and the bleak reality of life for disabled people and their families in Florida. The absence of consideration for him wounds us all. Believing he is a monster bespeaks why this country has lost sight of its exceptionalism. We no longer look for humanity.
I’m sorry for the school staff member grievously injured in this situation. This scenario resulted from decisions and events started years ago, not recent occurrences. What Leanne Depa outlines here describe a profusion of disappointments and difficulties with such debilitating stress that she is amazingly fortunate the heart attack did not take the husband. The family must have lived and continue to live under an unreal level of stress for the number of dead ends and locked doors they encountered. Brenden most likely should have had an educational placement in a specialized school for disabled students where the entire staff is fully equipped to manage a student population with Brenden’s level of need. That would have been an appropriate educational situation. Public schools can serve the neurotypical effectively and some neurodivergent children, but not many special education students.
In this instance, the school, special education administrators, academic administrators, and school board are wholly guilty for this scenario. They did not equip the staff member with the necessary support. Warm bodies do not constitute capable education and care. Even well-trained educators with dedication to the unique needs of populations they serve often (not occasionally) lack the basic knowledge about severe autism.
Further, the video does not give all the information. We, the audience, come into this situation after the student already appears distressed, frightened, and confused. This situation should remind any parent of a child with any diagnosis to block constant videotaping or surveillance of their child if unilaterally requested by the institution or school district. While “a picture is worth a thousand words,” the information such a video provides is only helpful if everyone who sees it views it in an unbiased manner. Since prevailing wisdom teaches that photography and video are tangible and transparent documentation of reality, who can look at an image without bias? Answer no one. These kinds of videos will always frame such disastrous situations as worse than they already are.
My heart breaks for Brendan and his family. For Brendan, I say I am sorry. I am so sorry you did not receive the necessary medical intervention you need. You have conditions requiring medical solutions. The complexity of your requirements is off the charts. Regretfully, the medical solutions necessary to stabilize someone like Brendan require such finesse that, lacking access to superior medical professionals, he will likely have a great deal of sensory defensiveness.
I hope Brendan can find some moments of joy and happiness. I hope his family can know how much he loves them and that he knows how much they love him. The steadfastness of that familial connection will hopefully remain the most impressive and exceptional part of his life for decades. He has diverse interests and is still becoming. I hope he manifests his sense of self in discovering who and what he wants to become.
The race issue terrifies me here. My child is white. We have successfully avoided law enforcement clamping down on my child, and I fully believe it is because we parents are white and because my child is white. The criminal justice system is ill-equipped to handle severe disabilities. But law enforcement and the legal system are unable to see full humanity in disabled people who have challenges AND non-white skin. If Brendan were white, this story would not have unfolded as it has. And with sincere apologies to Leanne Depa and her husband for how critical this point is, I suspect that Brendan’s family experienced discrimination in raising him, accessing the highly nuanced care and treatment he required over time, and probably did not get the excruciatingly detailed information that would have helped them be the best advocates at every turn.
Good luck Depa Family. You obviously have a great deal of love to give. Brendan is fortunate you are part of his life.
BB says
Kid needs to be put down. Don’t even start with this “aww he’s autistic and depressed”. That’s garbage. He’s a danger to society and should be treated as such and his mom is clearly delusional.
Mischa Gee says
Heartless, sociopathic tendencies abound in your statement. Since you are incapable of the slightest understanding of what being autistic is, you are not one whose “opinion” is meaningful or necessary. It’s mindlessly mean and idiotic.
cronin says
No, it’s not idiotic. Would you feel the same if you were knocked down and lying lifeless on the ground by a random guy who’s walking away freely because he has a “free” pass at killing people?
Having such individual walking around freely is a system failure for the rest of the society.
Mischa Gee says
I have not read anywhere in any response that Brenden should be “walking around freely”.
What I have repeatedly stated is he does NOT belong in a prison setting, but he should be in a facility with 24 hour care given by people who are trained professionals in caring for severely autistic people.
Of course, what happened to Mrs. Naydich was horrific, but that is only part of this story.
I believe if it happened to me, I would have been able to see Brenden as not meaning to hurt me the way he did and would, hopefully, upon reflection realize that I might have handled the situation different possibly could have avoided the outcome based partially on how I dealt with the situation at the time. Brenden didn’t act in a vacuum, and I would have to admit to myself and the courts that I had something to do with it.
Justin says
Well said. It’s nice to see a little common sense every now and again, given the times.
Justin says
Well said. It is nice to see some common sense in a sea of ignorance.
Jill says
This situation is such a tragedy. Maybe it should be studied as other tragedies, like an airplane accident. We study these to prevent future accidents and learn from them.
When was the beginning of a problem with Brendon? Why and how long and with whom was Brandon before being adopted?
Much —probably the most important—development in babies happens before birth, and even before conception when the egg and sperm are being formed. Toxins, bad nutrition, trauma, alcohol, drugs and infections all can have significant negative effects particularly during the time the baby is developing in the mother. Do you remember the Zika babies? And you have probably seen children with fetal alcohol syndrome. In addition there are many neurological abnormalities that can be seen and are only detected as the child matures.
So Brendon’s problems started with his birth parents.
Who knows what their problems were. But it is a good bet that Brendon’s problems would be less if the birth mother had avoided Toxins, bad nutrition, trauma, alcohol, drugs and infections.
And the cost to society to support and even require the mother in this would be a tiny fraction of the cost trying to raise and Brendon and kept him from harming, killing others
Lisa says
I feel tremendous sympathy to Mrs. Depa – who obviously tried to do everything possible to help her son. However, even she should admit that sometimes people are beyond the point of help. When someone is violent – no matter what their age or size is – they cannot function in society and need to be removed. I admit Brendan likely should be in a controlled mental facility rather than a prison – but how many of those places (that would be appropriate and secure) even exist any longer? It’s amazing to me that the parents knew he shouldn’t be in a public school – but the “experts” overruled them and put him there anyway.
Mrs. Naydich’s lawsuit should be against the school, the school district, and ECHO – as they put her and every other employee at that school in grave danger by putting a child that had exhibited violence before in an environment where he was a ticking time bomb. It sounds to me like every medical professional that encountered this child failed him and they should be held accountable. The constant changing of medications is disruptive to normative people – I can imagine how it would affect someone with disorders like this.
I also do not understand at ALL why this kid was EVER allowed to play video games. Clearly it was a trigger for him and yet this group home allowed him to play games FOUR HOURS a day?! That’s just laziness on the home’s part and it was likely the last straw that sent this kid to the point of no return. You shouldn’t let mentally normal kids play video games that much – it alters their brain and to allow a child who has violence and control issues play it at ALL is just baffling to me. Would this situation ever have occurred if he hadn’t ever been allowed electronics? And I’m sorry – kids shouldn’t have cell phones in classes either – that – again – is laziness on the part of the teacher and the school. My child goes to a private Catholic school, and they are not allowed to touch their phones at all during the school day or they are immediately confiscated. Phones and video games do not belong in schools.
Unfortunately, I feel that Brendan does need to be removed from society – whether it’s prison or a mental facility. If the judge has the option – I’m sure no one would object to him being in a secure mental facility as long as he is restricted from society. I hope Mrs. Naydich sues the schools and the medical professionals for everything that they are worth – and I hope that Mrs. Depa does the same – if only to try and facilitate changes in the laws that govern treatments of mental illnesses as it appears that the current system puts everyone in jeopardy and does not help the child – or their family.
Jessica says
How can someone like me help? I live in Miami, FL and I was looking to see if there are any petitions we can sign, or people we can reach out to as citizens of Florida? I want to create more awareness around this in my community. This is not right and it could happen to any child on the spectrum if we don’t stand up for them NOW!
Louise Hicks says
I have read many of the comments and agree that our system failed this child. I know first-hand what it is like to have a child that is emotionally disturbed when they are placed in the hands of this broken mental prison system. This is not a mental health system. I have been dealing with it for over 25 years now as an advocate/activist due to my own son’s journey of being diagnosed with a rare bone cancer at 14, then depression and drug addiction because this disease and political lack of policies and compassion for the mentally challenged derailed him. If not for my background and working in the system, my son may have ended up like Brendan. When I read Brendan’s story and saw all the YouTube videos, I was compelled to see how I could help because there are lots of mentally challenged people like Brendan and my son in this mental prison system. This is why I am asking for help for this boy who is being railroaded by the injustice system. I took it upon myself to write the “Equal Justice Initiative” to see if their organization could help. I did get a response that I will share here in hopes that I can get in touch with Brendan’s mother to see if she too can write to them and anyone on this chat who is as compassionate as I am to support and write letters to the “Equal Justice Initiative” that may help to compel their organization to help with this case. As you know that saying, “there is strength in numbers” and I am a believer in this theory. Here is my email to the “Equal Justice Initiative” with their contact information in which I did get a response. Thank you all for your compassionate comments and I believe that together, we can get Brendan and those like him the help that is needed to make a difference so that what happened to this teacher’s aide hopefully won’t happen to another person. I would love to be able to speak with Brandon’s parents to see how I can help further in this necessary cause to get justice for Brendan and open some doors to get a realistic and genuine “Mental Health System” in this country.
Re: URGENT: RESPONDING TO MR. RAY BROWN – LOUISE HICKS RE: BRENDAN DEPA’S STORY – HEARTBROKEN FROM A MOTHER WHO HAS BEEN THERE
EJI Intake
From:
[email protected]
To:
Louise
Thu, Nov 30 at 6:00 AM
Dear Louise Hicks,
Thank you for contacting the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) on behalf of Brenden Depa. We are very sorry to hear about this difficult situation. If there is anything we can do to provide assistance, we will contact you. Mr. Depa can also contact us directly at the address below, but please do not send lengthy materials or original documents in the mail for review as we are not able to maintain physical copies of materials we receive. Materials sent to our office will not be maintained or returned.
Equal Justice Initiative
Attn: Intake Department
122 Commerce Street
Montgomery, AL 36104
We receive hundreds of requests for assistance each month, and due to an overwhelming caseload, we are unfortunately unable to provide direct assistance or referrals to most people who contact us. We regret that our ability to take on new cases is so limited, because we recognize that you are dealing with a difficult situation. We appreciate you taking the time to contact us, and we thank you again for your inquiry.
Sincerely,
Symphony
Intake Department
On Mon, Nov 27, 2023 at 9:38 AM Louise wrote:
Greetings:
I would like to thank Mr. Ray Brown for responding to my phone call and advising me how to contact the Equal Justice Initiative.
I chose to write to Attorney Bryan Stevenson and the Equal Justice Organization because I first saw him on 60 minutes about the Alabama man, who was sentenced to death and Attorney Stevenson proved this man’s innocence. I also saw the movie and bought the book, Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson.
When I heard about the Brendan Depa’s story who was 17 years of age just recently when he attacked a teacher’s aide at his high school in Florida, the Equal Justice Initiative and my own son’s journey compelled me to call the Equal Justice Initiative to see if they could help this young boy. I was compelled because I saw my own son’s plight where the Los Angeles County, California Courts were attempting to railroad my mentally challenged son, who was stricken with a rare bone cancer at the age of 14 which catapulted him into deep depression and drug addiction to his detriment. I had to fight the injustice system in California to get charges dropped when my son became an adult and entangled in some bogus charges against him where he should have never been charged with a crime. I have been fighting for my son’s life now for over 25 years because he survived the cancer, but not the challenges of a 14 year old brilliant young Black boy whose life and dreams were shattered due to this deadly disease, Cancer.
In my mind, although Brenden was adopted by this white caring couple at infancy and autistic, I saw him as my son when I watched all the YouTube videos about how he attacked this teacher’s aid. I knew in my spirit, there was a deeper underlying story than what the YouTube videos were telling. I saw him being railroaded and the victim just as this teacher’s aid that he attacked is a victim, just different templates as to the root cause of his behavior in which autism compounded his journey. Then when I read that this boy is being charged as an adult and can be sent to prison as early as January 2024, I was more compelled to write to the Equal Justice Initiative and plead his case. I went further to dig up research as to his history and what his parents had done to get this young child help since they adopted him as an infant and he was autistic. When I read Brendan’s mother’s story, I literally cried because her story was reminiscent of my son, David’s journey, in which I have been David’s advocate within this broken mental health system that is a prison for so many mentally challenged victims within our society. My heart was broken for this family because this story hit so close to home for me and the fact that my son is now 42 with me once again his conservator, when he has been railroaded multiple times by the mental health courts and injustice system. I thank God daily for keeping me here, now for 72 years to be his advocate or my son probably would be in prison or dead. I see that road ahead for Brendan unless he is given a fighting chance when this injustice system is now going to try Brendan as an adult when the system failed him throughout his life when his parents, according to the mother’s story (see the link below for her story and the multiple YouTube videos about Brendan’s story) made every attempt to get him the help he needed just to survive his unfortunate deck of cards that Brendan was dealt.
As a mother and advocate/activist for the mentally challenged, I pray that your organization can help this young boy because I just don’t see how and why this injustice system would be trying him as an adult when the system failed him. This young boy should be getting the help that he needs to help him heal and I would pray that the teacher’s aide will also heal and see this case for what it is, a railroading of Brendan Depa when both are victims of this broken Mental Health and Injustice Systems.
Thank you kindly again, Mr. Ray Brown for returning my call and allowing me to have a voice for those whose voices are ignored. I pray once again that the Equal Justice Initiative will take on this case on behalf of Brendan Depa and his family because they are victims.
Louise Hicks, Caring Mother who has been there
(562) 310-1495
https://flaglerlive.com/brendan-depa-my-son-story/#gsc.tab=0
titi says
People should deal with the consequences of their condition and actions. That is life.
Phillip the Teacher says
This post continues to invite the most disconnected and uninformed of our great community. Many are not educators nor have they ever sat in an IEP meeting or even know what an IEP is. This kid had an IEP, behavior plan and accommodations which are legal documents.
Brenden has several documented disabilities which has placed him in the exceptional education program. My experience with ESE students has been physical and emotional at times, but anyone working in ESE understands the challenges. Students with aggressive tendencies also have documented triggers. I believe he should have been handled accordingly as to de-escalate his behavior. It is unacceptable that staff was injured, but it is equally grievous to incarcerate a kid (big or small) with a disability, without acknowledging the very nature of his disability.
I fear that Brenden has not received fair consideration. This may have occurred due to several factors including the obvious. I am sadden that any effort to advocate for Brenden has gone unnoticed and virtually nonexistent. If this is how low our society has sunken, we and the very children we seek to educate are in a world of trouble. This is not a proud moment in Palm Coast, but it could have a different outcome if we work together.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” John Stuart Mill
NANCY SKADDEN says
Yours is one of the very few informed responses to this post. Please may the judge be reading especially what you said. Thank you.
I. B. says
I am so sorry that insurance companies put your son and Ms. Naydich in this awful situation. I’m a paraeducator, and I want to say this with all of my professional knowledge and all of my heart: I know that your son is not a monster.
I hope that he is able to get the care and support he needs to thrive… Outside of the legal system. Imprisonment is not justice, here. Care is.
mimi says
To Depa’s mother and father: All things aside, how would you feel if one of you were that teacher? An then deal with lifelong mental and physical wounds just as severe as your son’s.
You can’t indefinitely blame the system. Your son was viciously attacking another person.
He was arrested before and he will do it again.
William Stonehocker says
I wonder if the father will tell his side of the story. Hell, what about the rest of Brendan’s family? Also, a group home employee should tell their side of the story too.
I was thinking FatheringAutism should get involved because they know the kind of person Abigail is, a non-verbal but very intelligent and attractive individual. FAIK, what would Brendan think of Abigail?
Teacher in Flagler says
You guys are so misinformed and blinded by your own ignorance. The kid’s behaviors are documented and the school has a behavior plan that each teacher and assistant should follow. Not following the behavior plan, escalates the kids behavior and places everyone in danger.
People of Palm Coast should stop commenting as if you understand students with disabilities, clearly you do NOT. I wish the kid’s family would get a civil rights attorney and flip this city upside down with its arrogance and prideful prejudices.
A Teacher!
Deirdre says
I agree, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, which you can tell by many of these comments.
Wow some of the things said are cruel! People don’t understand disabilities in general, and how severe they have to be to need a teacher aid. In this case it has nothing to do with intelligence or understanding they’re in trouble when they are, it’s an emotional issue.
Even when teachers and aids are doing their best, it’s impossible to really predict what might trigger a student with a serious autism and to what degree. I can see how letting him do something he enjoyed so much would’ve been a positive incentive, without appreciating just how extreme his reaction would be (in this instance) of having it taken away. There’s no way you would take away the game and turn your back on a student you were expecting to attack you.
People are obviously welcome to give their opinion on this matter, but it would be nice if they did their homework first.
Find out about severe autism before assuming he’s a regular kid with violent tendencies that can be controlled.
Having meltdowns is part of his disability and not something in his control, or he wouldn’t need a teacher aid in the first place.
Sarah says
He needs some time in jail no matter how sweetly you present his case. Autistic or not, he did the crime and even doubled down saying he will finish the job when he gets out. If it wasn’t this para, it would have been someone else. You’re a mother and that makes you blind to the fact that your child is aggressive, defiant and a danger to others so you give us a 10 page essay instead of realizing the facts. I hope you heal from the fact that Brandon is not meant to live in society and not many autistic kids can. Hopefully he gets the treatment he requires and comes out rehabilitated for everyone’s sake.
Eugene Lopes says
I’m not sure where you have been sleeping for the last year and a half but he has been in jail for 17 months. Your comments are disturbing and despicable. You clearly have absolutely no knowledge of his case or about people with autism. Do the community a favor and keep your ignorance and hatred to yourself. If you have any intellectual curiosity at all (I’m guessing that is probably a no), go read up on everything that lead up to this incident and everything that has happened since. You are the person who comes in at the end of a show and then criticizes the plot.
William Stonehocker says
I agree with Gene Lopes.
Mikey says
He was just sentenced to five years in jail. He should have gotten ten.
Jakes says
Thank you, it’s the outcome we all deserved. Facts don’t care about your feelings. His parents failed him and society must pay the price. Due to possible incidents coming, I doubt he will ever be on probation.
Kathy says
My heart is with this devastated family. Their son, with severe autism and co-occurring mental illness, should not be in prison. He should be in a specialized residential setting that can provide him all the intensive medical, mental health and allied health support he needs to be stable, healthy and happy. Does such a setting exist? For the most part, no, not in this country. Our policy/research direction has been one of pretending that all persons with disabilities, regardless of the nature and severity of the disability, can live successfully “in the community” without intensive, appropriate supports and services. When a disabled person doesn’t live up to that expectation, what do we do? We put them in prison, in a homeless shelter, on the street, perhaps on the back wards of a state psych hospital or a nursing home. We avoid, we punish, out of ignorance and fear. We live in a country with some of the best educational and research facilities in the world. And this is the best we can do? We need a national moon shot research initiative on behalf of our fellow citizens with severe cognitive and behavioral disabilities, including those with severe/profound autism, one that will lead to safe and successful treatments, therapies, educational/vocational/day programs, residential settings. If we continue to fail this vulnerable population, we might as well warn up and coming generations to consider carefully whether to have children. There are no guarantees, and your society may not have your back.
Daisy says
Thank you Ms.Depa for sharing your story.
It’s disheartening that not many people are aware of autism and the issues that may arise due to this disability. I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard Brendan’s previous meltdowns were classified as ‘priors’. If that is the case,a huge percentage of people with autism would have multiple assault charges to their name.One just have to search #autism meltdowns #autism awareness on tik tok and there are so many videos on meltdowns being shown by carers/parents to spread awareness.
It’s so precious that Brendan has a big heart and cares for people who are in need.I believe going forward,this information should be mentioned at every opportunity so that more people are aware that he is kind and caring.It’s rare in this day and age,to come across a teenager who is not only concerned about the homeless but going as far as to buy food for them.
I read somewhere that Brendan was hungry prior to the incident. He asked for food and was denied access to food?I’m not sure who he spoke to,but was the staff aware there was no food in his group home the night before?Was lunch from the previous day his last meal before the incident? If that was the case,he would have been denied access to food for approximately 15- 20 hours and asked to wait hours more! This may seem like a small issue to some, however this can be quite worrisome for a young person with special needs, as they are at the mercy of their carers/teachers to access food and have no way of buying food on their own. No special needs student should be denied access to food and ask to wait hours more when their last meal was from the lunch/tea the previous day.
I come from a family of teachers and tutors and have great respect for the profession.I can sincerely say, prison certainly isnt the place for Brendan.I believe he was dealt with quite harshly to say the least. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Charliethesteak says
Thank you for sharing this deeply personal story. It’s heartbreaking to see the journey Brendan and your family have gone through. Your strength and resilience are truly inspiring. I hope that by sharing his story, more awareness can be raised about the challenges faced by those in similar situations.