Families speak out after former Visalia special education teacher pleads not guilty to child abuse

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- It was an affectional time astatine the Tulare County Courthouse successful Visalia, arsenic dozens of loved ones and household members of alleged kid maltreatment victims filled a courtroom connected Tuesday morning.

No cameras were allowed successful the courtroom, wherever 34-year-old Lacy Ann Horsting's lawyer pleaded "Not Guilty" connected her behalf via Zoom, to misdemeanor Child Abuse charges.

"I'm not surprised, but it's okay. She tin effort to fight, but everything is being brought to light. There's an service down these children and I cognize that justness volition beryllium theirs," expresses Brittany Camacho, the parent of 1 of the alleged victims.

Horsting is simply a erstwhile Visalia Unified School District peculiar acquisition teacher.

A transgression ailment lists 10 charges of kid maltreatment with astatine slightest 5 victims betwixt August of 2024 and June of 2025.

Ashley Hill, who present homeschool's her child, says helium was successful Horsting's people during his 2nd twelvemonth with VUSD. She shares helium was excited for the archetypal time of school, but everything changed soon erstwhile she took him backmost for his 2nd time of school, "As soon arsenic helium saw the school, helium started crying, sobbing... I had aggregate meetings with the teacher and the main explained to him that this is not my emblematic behavior."

Hill continues to share, "He was coming location with aggregate bruises and scratches connected his body; they would accidental helium did it to himself oregon that they didn't cognize what happened."

Camacho emotionally adds, "Some of the semipermanent effects that are affecting these children are that they urinate themselves, furniture wetting astatine night, terrible nail biting, they lone person their fingers near due to the fact that of the terrible nail biting... immoderate of the children inactive to this time self-isolate."

Camacho says her child, and others involved, are each non-verbal and saw a large alteration successful her child's behaviour aft being a pupil successful Horsting's class, "Incontinence, nightmares... Severe aggression similar terrible aggression that doesn't adjacent marque consciousness similar strangulation, erstwhile I accidental severe, I mean terrible attacks."

Camacho continues to share, "Don't ever uncertainty your children's assemblage connection and your gut instinct erstwhile you consciousness similar thing is wrong, that's a wide outcry for help."

Horsting was released from the territory successful 2025.

In January of this year, parents accidental they received a victim's advocator missive from the Tulare County District Attorney's office. Some parents are conscionable uncovering retired astir the alleged abuse.

"This is the worst I've seen. This is... This is beauteous bad, I've seen isolated cases similar this, but I've not seen a full schoolroom impacted similar this, for the magnitude of clip that they were," says Amanda Simmons, who is representing 6 families successful this case. She shares that she is besides representing astatine slightest 1 different household successful a abstracted lawsuit involving VUSD.

Hill adds, "This isn't thing that conscionable happens retired of the blue, truthful I'm definite that determination are countless children who person been wounded by the teacher."

In a statement, Visalia Unified School District shared, "The information and well-being of students is simply a apical precedence of the District. The idiosyncratic successful question was instantly removed from the schoolroom arsenic soon arsenic the territory became alert of the situation. That idiosyncratic has not been employed by VUSD since past year. We stay committed to supporting our students and moving with our families and unit to support harmless learning environments."

Meanwhile, parents are hoping for justness and change.

Hill shares she hopes to spot improvements successful peculiar acquisition classrooms, particularly wherever non-verbal students are present, "My biggest happening is that we desperately request cameras successful classrooms to support our children. That volition clasp radical accountable."

Camacho besides shares that it is religion and seeking justness that is keeping her household going, "To beryllium capable to prime up my transverse and support moving, I'm capable to dice to myself for these children. It's not conscionable my lad that I'm warring for; it's for each azygous kid that was affected and past tin perchance beryllium affected. My bosom truly is for each azygous kid that does not person a dependable to question justness for them."

Horsting's adjacent tribunal quality is May 27th. The proceedings is acceptable to statesman connected June 24th.

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