'Justice For 'Daylan' Demonstration Planned In Maplewood Over Incident With 4-Year-Old Boy

MAPLEWOOD AND SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — During last weekend's rain, a small protest was held over an incident in the South Orange-Maplewood schools in which a 4-year-old boy with autism was — according to his family — dangled upside down by a teacher in March. But because the rain kept most people away, a larger "Justice for Daylan" protest will be held this Saturday. READ MORE: Teacher In South Orange-Maplewood Schools Suspended

The pre-school teacher accused of holding the boy has been suspended, reports have said. The school district has not responded to Patch when asked for comment.

The organizers said, "We have discussed and solidified a list of demands for the Wilkins family. Such demands include full transparency for the family regarding the investigation pertaining to the abuse of four-year-old Daylan."

They would like an answer by Monday, May 8.

The new protest will be held on Saturday, May 6 at 12 noon, starting at Grove Park in South Orange and marching to the Board of Education building at 525 Academy St. in Maplewood.

See the new release here:

Information From The Organizers Of 'Justice for Daylan':

Justice for Daylan, Action Update and Next Steps:

On Saturday, April 29, 2023, despite inclement weather, a community contingent of at
least fifty showed up at the South Orange Train Station at 15 Sloan Street in South Orange, NJ to
show their solidarity with the family of Daylan Wilkins. Daylan, a four-year-old Black and
autistic child was hung upside down from his ankles by a teacher at Montrose Early Childhood
Center. While we were not able to march as originally planned, we spent the time that we had
gathering in community with a love and dedication to the Wilkins family and to each other,
rallying, networking, making posters, and sharing food together. We spent the time assuring each
other and developing an organized base in order to build sustained pressure on the school district
for their systemic permitting of abuse against our youth. We will follow up this community
meeting with a demonstration, from Grove Park, in South Orange, marching to the Board
of Education building on 525 Academy Street, in Maplewood, on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at
12 p.m. noon.

We have discussed and solidified a list of demands for the Wilkins family. Such demands
include full transparency for the family regarding the investigation pertaining to the abuse of
four-year-old Daylan. The family is to be made aware of the names of all teachers and staff that
were present in the classroom during the assault, as well as the district’s policy regarding the
abuse of students by staff. We also demand that the South Orange-Maplewood School District
pay restitution to the Wilkins family, sufficient for Daylan to be educated in a private institution
with adequate resources to care for children with special needs. Furthermore, we demand a full
investigation into the policies and training of educators in the district pertaining to the education
and care of special needs students in particular and students in general. It is clear to us as a
community that this incident involving Daylan is but one in a long train of mental and physical
abuses that have been effectively permitted to occur in this district, primarily against Black and
Brown youth.

After more than a month of silence and neglect, we expect an adequate answer to the aforementioned demands from the school district administration no later than Monday, May 8, 2023.

For more information and/or questions, please reach out to Felisha George, Chris Durán,
and/or TJ Whitaker.