Harlem Principal Accused Of Assaulting Autistic Student: Report

HARLEM, NY — A Harlem charter school official is facing criminal charges accusing the man of assaulting a young student who suffers from autism, according to reports and court records.

Jason Epting, 43, was arrested last week and charged with felony assault, harassment and acting in a manner injurious to a child, New York State court records show. Epting, a principal at Harlem Hebrew Language Academy, is accused of slamming a door into a 7-year-old student's head, ABC 7 reported.

The boy's mother, Patricia Laforey, told ABC 7 she remembers being video called by school officials on Jan. 24, the day her son was hurt. Her son, who suffers from autism, suffered a concussion and a deep gash.

School officials turned over security footage that allegedly shows Epting hitting Laforey's son with a bathroom door to police. The footage led to Epting's arrest three months after Laforey's son was injured, ABC 7 reported.

"I haven't seen the video," Laforey told ABC 7. "I don't know what's on the video, but the school felt it was enough to turn the video in. The DA felt it was enough to make this arrest."

Attorney's representing Epting in the criminal case claim that the boy was injured by accident and that the bathroom door may have "malfunctioned," according to the report.

Read the full ABC 7 report here.