Aides testify about concerns for autistic students

The mood grew tense in Rolling Meadows Courtroom 110 Wednesday during defense attorney Thomas Breen's cross-examination of a onetime teacher's aide to Patrick McCarthy, the former special education teacher charged with aggravated battery and unlawful restraint of three autistic students last year at Schaumburg's Robert Frost Junior High.

Teacher's aide Carol Greco said McCarthy made a student jump for 40 minutes on a trampoline wearing a weighted vest and she consider that unprofessional. Earlier, teacher's aide Habib Behrouzi testified similarly about the incident. Another aide, Jean Ramirez, contradicted them saying the student spent 10 minutes on the trampoline.

Greco said the student cried and tried to get off the trampoline. The incident upset her, especially when she learned that student - who suffered from a seizure disorder - had a seizure later that night.

"You blame Patrick McCarthy for causing that seizure," said Breen.

"I think it may have," said Greco, a 10-year veteran.

Greco said she also believed McCarthy behaved abusively once when he used his body to run a student into a wall several times.

"You cared a great deal about these children," said Breen. "You hated to see any one of them in discomfort or crying, didn't you?"

"Yes sir," she said.

The exchange became strained a few minutes later when Breen stated, "you really hate Patrick McCarthy today, don't you?"

"Patrick McCarthy was my friend," Greco fired back. "He was like a son to me."

Responding to assistant state's attorney Shandra Leary's redirect, Greco testified "it was hard to turn in a friend," but said that she did it because she felt the students were in danger. Greco also said she believed McCarthy's responses to the students' behavior escalated the situation rather than diffusing it.

Testimony concluded with defense witness Ramirez, another McCarthy teacher aide, who had socialized with McCarthy and other colleagues at least one occasion and knew that he was going through a divorce. The nine-year veteran testified that she never saw McCarthy abuse his students and she said as much to Schaumburg's investigating officer.

Due to an attorney conflict, testimony resumes at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 17 in Rolling Meadows courtroom 110.