Parent upset over treatment of special needs children at Monkey Joe's
CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- A Raleigh mother is upset with how children were treated at an event for kids with special needs.
It allegedly happened at the Monkey Joe's in Cary. The bounce-house filled indoor playground stays open late every third Tuesday of the month to accommodate kids with special needs. But on Tuesday night, a parent told ABC11 other kids were getting in and were basically overrunning the kids with special needs.
Jennifer Ramirez said she was there with her husband and their autistic 6-year old son Archie. Ramirez told ABC11 that her husband watched an employee at the top of a bounce house roughly handle a little girl with Down syndrome.
"We saw the employee grabbing at the little girl by her feet and legs," Ramirez said, "and it was really hard to watch because the little girl doesn't understand."
Ramirez is popular on social media. She has more than 13,000 followers on Instagram, and when she posted the story, it caught fire.
The owner of the Monkey Joe's told ABC11 he wasn't there, but he apologized to Ramirez and said he'd make sure his employees were properly trained to handle children with special needs. He also told ABC11 that he has a son with severe disabilities, which is why he puts on the monthly event for special needs kids. The event is free for the kids and their families.
Ramirez said she's satisfied with the owner's response and will go back for the next event on Nov. 18.
