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Virginia Beach Mother Challenges School Over False Drug Accusations Against Autistic Son
A Virginia Beach mother is fighting to clear her son’s name after what she claims was a serious mishandling of a drug accusation by Salem Middle School officials. Dariana Trinidad says school administrators threatened to expel her 13-year-old son Dariel, who has Level 2 autism, despite medical evidence proving his innocence.
The incident began on October 21 when Dariel asked to use the restroom during a test. According to the family, two students approached him in the hallway and questioned why his eyes appeared red, asking if he was high.
“They asked Dariel, ‘Why are your eyes red? Are you high?’ His answer was, ‘No, I don’t do drugs. I’m not a junkie,'” Dariana Trinidad told local news outlet WAVY.
Dariel explained to the students that his appearance stemmed from poor sleep. “I said, ‘It’s because I don’t sleep well and I get tired easily,’ and they said they thought I smoked weed and were going to report me,” Dariel recounted.
What followed was a sequence of events that the Trinidad family describes as traumatic. A security guard removed Dariel from his classroom mid-test and escorted him to the assistant principal’s office. There, staff searched him thoroughly, including making him remove his shoes, but found nothing illegal.
The school nurse then conducted an impromptu sobriety test, which included shining lights in his eyes and having him touch his nose. School officials determined he failed this test and accused him of being under the influence.
“She said, ‘I will have less consequence if I tell her the truth,'” Dariel recalled being told. “Was it out of boredom? Was it out of influence? Peer pressure. And I told her no, I don’t do drugs.”
Despite his protests, the school suspended Dariel for several weeks and mandated he complete a substance abuse intervention program. The Trinidad family maintains that Dariel has never used any illicit substances.
“I never do drugs and I will keep it out of my life because I don’t believe drugs will help me,” Dariel firmly stated. “It’s going to make my life worse.”
Immediately after retrieving her son from school, Dariana Trinidad took decisive action. She brought Dariel to a medical clinic for a professional toxicology test, which came back negative for all drugs. Armed with these results and additional medical documentation, the family presented the evidence to school administrators.
The family also obtained a doctor’s note explaining that individuals with autism often have difficulties with the type of field sobriety test administered by the school. The medical note specifically addressed the school’s findings that Dariel had “failed finger-to-nose” tests, exhibited “constricted pupils,” and displayed “horizontal nystagmus.”
Despite this medical evidence, Trinidad claims the school refused to reverse the disciplinary measures because Dariel had failed their in-house sobriety test.
“Even though we show proof, even though we have letters from the doctors, letters from the providers, they target him because he’s autistic. That’s what I’m getting out of this,” said Gene Trinidad, Dariel’s father.
The situation has been emotionally taxing for the family, who moved to Hampton Roads from the West Coast in 2016. Dariana Trinidad expressed particular concern about the psychological impact on her son.
“What was happening to him, what was going through his head, through his mind,” she reflected. “He’s being accused of something he didn’t do, and I wasn’t there to protect him. The school was supposed to protect him and they didn’t. They failed him in so many ways.”
The family is currently navigating Virginia Beach Public Schools’ appeals process to clear their son’s record. In a recent development, they took Dariel to the mandated substance abuse intervention program with their documentation in hand, but program officials sent him home upon reviewing his negative drug test results.
When contacted, Virginia Beach Public Schools declined to comment specifically on the case, citing privacy concerns and the ongoing appeals process. The district provided information about their standard appeals procedures but offered no further details on Dariel’s situation.
The case raises questions about how schools conduct drug assessments, particularly with neurodivergent students whose behaviors and responses may differ from neurotypical peers.
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8 Comments
This case highlights the need for better education and awareness around autism and other disabilities within school systems. Students with special needs deserve to feel safe and supported, not targeted or mistreated.
Absolutely. The school’s response seems woefully inadequate. They should have handled this with more care and compassion for the student’s wellbeing.
This is a distressing situation. Students with autism deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, not subjected to baseless accusations and threats of expulsion. The school clearly needs to review its procedures and provide better support for vulnerable students.
The details here are concerning. Falsely accusing a student of drug use is a serious matter that could have long-term consequences. I hope the school district investigates this thoroughly and takes steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Kudos to the mother for advocating for her son. Schools must do better to support and protect all students, regardless of their disabilities or challenges. I hope this family gets the justice and resolution they deserve.
Agreed. It’s important for schools to have clear policies and training on how to handle situations like this sensitively and appropriately.
While the initial accusation may have been made in good faith, the school’s subsequent actions appear heavy-handed and inappropriate. I hope this serves as a learning experience for them to improve their policies and training around supporting students with special needs.
This is a troubling situation. Schools should handle delicate matters like this with care, especially for students with special needs. The accusations against this autistic student seem premature and unfair. Proper protocols and evidence should be followed to avoid traumatizing vulnerable students.