NJ Teacher's Aide Filmed Boy's Meltdown, Shared It: Report

LITTLE EGG HARBOR, NJ — A Little Egg Harbor teacher's aide is accused of provoking a child with autism into having a meltdown and then filming it to share on Snapchat.

The student's mother, Alissa Thorpe, told NJ.com that a paraprofessional at George J. Mitchell Elementary School, Ariana Edreff, filmed her 7-year-old son in a special education classroom.

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Thorpe also shared details in a Facebook post.

"I received a call from the director of special education and director of personnel with the school district on January 28, 2026 informing me that it had been brought to the principal’s attention that a paraprofessional in my child’s ERI (Emotional Regulation Impairment)-self contained-Special Education classroom had recorded a video of my child and shared it with other people via Snapchat for entertainment purposes on 1/23/26," she wrote.

She could be heard laughing in the video, Thorpe wrote.

Edreff is no longer working at the school, according to the NJ.com report.

She was initially charged with cruelty and neglect of children, Thorpe wrote. However, according to court records, her charges were downgraded and sent to municipal court.

Thorpe's son was also removed from the school shortly after his mother shared her Facebook post, according to the report. The district declined to comment to NJ.com.