Parents Want Answers After Son Dies At Central Special School

EDGEWATER, MD — Anne Arundel County school officials have confirmed that a student died Nov. 5 at Central Special School in Edgewater, just five days before his 18th birthday. Terry Gilleland, president of the board of education for Anne Arundel County Public Schools, said that the board alerted the state department of social services about the incident as required by law.

“While I understand the public’s desire to know more, there are legal issues that make it inappropriate at this time for any board member or AACPS employee to discuss any of the specifics of this matter or this student,” Gilleland wrote in an email to the Baltimore Sun. “Our focus moving forward will be to continue to support the student’s family and the students and staff at Central Special School, which is an amazing educational setting for children.”

Officials at the school called 911 on Nov. 5 after a student was reported to be choking. School district spokesman Bob Mosier noted that the student was being supervised at the time of the accident. Anne Arundel County Fire Department paramedics took the boy to Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis, where he later died.

Central Special School, 140 Stepney Lane, offers services to children with and without disabilities from ages 3 to 5 in a half-day setting, as well as an all-day program for children with severe disabilities ranging in age from 6 to 21.

Bryan and Tanya Levy spoke out after the incident and said it was their son, 17-year-old Bowen Levy, who died five days after he choked on a glove at the school. Bowen had autism. The Levys were informed by a medical team that he may have been without oxygen for 10 minutes, according to the Capital Gazette. The parents said school officials haven’t given them :clear information on what happened that day."

A statement provided to The Capital by the Levys said they not only mourn the loss of their child but have concerns for other Anne Arundel County Public Schools special education students who require supervision like their son needed.

“The school system promised it would provide Bowen 1:1 full-time supervision to keep him safe, but as this year commenced, we were informed that supervision was not available," the Levys wrote in their statement. “We can’t bring our son back, but we must do everything possible to ensure that no other parents’ daughter or son suffers an unnecessary injury or death because the Board of Education failed to provide the basic resources to keep them safe."

The family said they were told that the school district had trouble finding students aides due to “low salaries being paid by the board of education.” Bowen has attended Central Special since he was a preschooler and was known for having an “infectious laugh” and lots of energy, according to his obituary.

“He possessed a heart of gold and loved his family, eating great food and everything Elmo,” the family wrote in the obituary.