On May 25, 2020, my high school
special education counselor called my mom to inform her that I had won a
contest. A few days later, I received a $500 scholarship from the school
corporation, which made us very happy. However, things took a turn when I started
attending Vincennes Junior College in Indiana for the 2020-21 academic year
amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. I discovered that special education was not what
I thought it was, and it was heavily promoted as education for the worst of the
worst. Upon further investigation, I found out that the special education
program at the college was a major fraud, and it was all about greed rather
It took four years and a lawsuit by
NFL linebacker Michael Ohr against the Touhe family for me to realize that my
high school dreams had crashed into a brick wall. This problem is not just
limited to me - it has affected children across the United States. Greed and
programs that are supposed to help the needy are issues that many do not want
to address. However, in The Blind Lines, a one-year investigation by The Bear
Man Journal, freelance journalist Braydyn Lents, and Bear Man Films, we explore
corruption in special education. We aim to shed light on the issue and
encourage schools to take necessary action.
This is the first episode of our newest podcast and boy we can't wait to publish the first episode about my experience in special education and a coordinator who I later found out did more than just teach. The next lesson will publish this Thursday and then again next week as those are still being recorded.