A Message From Thor’s Family

 Our family has spent every day since January 6, 2025, trying to understand how something so unthinkable could happen to a child so innocent, so vulnerable, and so full of life. Thor is not just a name we use for safety—he is our son, our heart, and the light of our home. What happened to him changed our world forever.

Thor is a child with special needs. He depends on adults for support, guidance, and protection. He trusts easily. He loves without hesitation. And that trust was violated in a way no parent should ever have to witness, confront, or carry. The pain of seeing your child hurt—especially by someone entrusted to care for students—leaves a wound that does not fade. It changes the way you breathe, the way you sleep, the way you see the world.

Since that day, our lives have been divided into before and after.

Before, Thor laughed freely, slept peacefully, and felt safe in a world we worked so hard to build around him.
After, we have walked through fear, confusion, therapy sessions, sleepless nights, flashbacks, anger, heartbreak, and the heavy struggle of trying to help him reclaim parts of himself that were taken.

We are rebuilding—not because it is easy, but because Thor deserves healing, hope, and a future untouched by the choices of someone who misused their authority. Every day, we help him take a step forward: learning to trust again, recognizing his own strength, and understanding that what happened to him was not his fault. We remind him that he is brave, loved, and protected. That he is not to blame. That his life still has joy waiting for him.

Our family has also endured fear no one should have to experience—fear of retaliation, fear of continued contact, fear of what happens if the system fails again. We have had to navigate court hearings, broken systems, confusing laws, and moments where it felt like justice moved far too slowly for a child whose life was shattered in seconds.

Yet through all of this… we remain committed to standing up not just for Thor, but for every child in Ohio.
We refuse to let his suffering be ignored.
We refuse to let silence protect the system instead of protecting children.
We refuse to allow any other family to face this pain alone.

We are speaking out because stronger laws could have prevented this.
We are standing up because better protections could have shielded Thor and children like him.
We are advocating because no child—disabled or not—should ever be placed in harm’s way by the very people entrusted to educate them.

Thor is still healing. So are we.
But we choose to turn our pain into purpose.

We choose to fight for change.
We choose to protect other children.
We choose to make sure that what happened to Thor never happens to another family again.

And we ask you to stand with us—
for accountability,
for reform,
for safety,
and for every child who cannot speak for themselves.

Thank you for hearing Thor’s story.
Thank you for believing children deserve better.
Thank you for joining us in demanding justice, protection, and real change in Ohio.

— Thor’s Family