Cobb Reporter

The state recently found the Cobb County School District in violation of Georgia's autism protocols after it pressed felony charges against an autistic student.

Patch reported that in August, Cobb County School District pressed felony charges against Jadon Ringland, 12, after he threatened to burn people and property at Hightower Trail Middle School. 

Tovah Ringland, Jadon's mother, told CBS 46 News that his form of autism has a symptom called "scripting," officially named echolalia, which causes him to repeat lines from his favorite videogames. She said Jadon's threats were just him repeating lines of the main character from a videogame where the player can attack enemies with Molotov cocktails. She said that the school was supposed to be aware of his condition as part of Jadon's IEP (Individual Education Plan) and BIP (Behavioral Intervention Plan).

CBS 46 News reported that teachers didn’t follow up with the behavioral intervention plan and instead called officers and pressed charges against Jadon.

"It’s our job to understand his behavior and what’s going on to be able to help him. It’s not that we’re bad parents, it's that the system failed,’’ Tovah Ringland said in an interview with CBS 46 News.

The juvenile court has dismissed all charges against Jadon and the state has required the Cobb County School District to undertake additional special needs training.