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Attorney Claims Long Beach School Officials Ignored Teacher Abuse

MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A Long Island school district is being accused of disregarding complaints that a special education teacher and others abused middle-school-aged children in their care.

Attorney Gerard Misk, who represents the parents of five children, has filed legal papers seeking to sue the Long Beach School District for $25 million in damages.

A teacher and two of her aides "systematically" abused children in their care from 2011 until 2014, when the teacher was suspended, Misk told 1010 WINS.

The abuse included encouraging a male student to masturbate in front of other classmates, Misk said. He also claims children were restrained with zip ties and duct tape and were physically and verbally abused.

"These children are the most vulnerable kids in the school district. They are all non-verbal, non-communicative, severely autistic children," Misk said. "So it's not like they could come home and tell their parents what was going on."

The teacher was accused by former classroom aides, and the school was aware of the abuse allegations, Misk said.

"The Long Beach schools knew about what was going on -- informed by no less than 11 substitutes or temporary aides that were in that class -- and took absolutely no action against this woman," Misk said.

David Weiss, superintendent for Long Beach Public Schools, issued a statement saying, "The district has not been served with any legal papers," and that they "will continue to comply, with all federal and state legal requirements regarding complaints to the district about possible abuse or mistreatment of our students."

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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