Former Rosa Parks employee indicted in assault of young student with autism

Darrick T. Sorrells, 56, of Dayton, is facing one count of assault and two counts of endangering children. The assault charge is a fourth-degree felony and the endangering children charges are first-degree misdemeanors.

He is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 19.

Sorrells was working at Rosa Parks Early Childhood Learning Center on Aug. 21 when the reported assault took place.

Video shared by the family of the student, Braylen Tootle, showed Sorrells was pulling Braylen in a wagon in a hallway when the 3-year-old boy got out and started to run.

Sorrells could be seen on the footage knocking the boy to the ground and picking him up by the ankles. Another employee saw the incident and took the boy from Sorrells.

Heck on Thursday said his office has reviewed two videos of the incident, both of which he called “shocking.”

“The child, his parents and our community should expect and deserve better from our school employees,” the prosecutor said.

Braylen’s parents, Robert Tootle and Taneshia Lindsay, previously said their son was doing OK and still being monitored by a doctor.

During a press conference with attorney Michael Wright last month, the parents said they were working to find out what happened and why they weren’t immediately notified by the school.

Tootle and Lindsay reportedly learned about the incident when picking up their son from school.

Lindsay said Sorrells should’ve been arrested the same day.

“They shouldn’t have sent him home pending investigation,” she said. “He should have left that school in handcuffs.”

She added she doesn’t blame the teachers at Rosa Park, who she said worked well with Braylen. Lindsay also said he was still a student at the school and would stay there unless she felt it was unsafe for him.

David Lawrence, DPS interim superintendent, previously said the district is taking additional steps to make sure all employees are properly trained and qualified for their positions.

“Fitness for duty will be measured in terms of job qualification, training, and social-emotional health and well-being,” Lawrence said.

Heck on Thursday said the charges against Sorrells sends a message to parents across the community.

“Parents need to know what’s going on with their children,” Heck said. “So if an event like this happened, they need to be contacted immediately.”