A grieving mother has initiated legal action following the tragic death of her autistic son, who fatally injured himself by hitting his head on the ground while confined in a makeshift classroom enclosure. Joshua Sikes, aged 11, passed away in November 2024 due to brain trauma sustained during the incident. Reports indicate that Joshua, while in the “prison-like” enclosure constructed with bookcases and heavy-duty straps, cried out for his mother before the fatal injury occurred.
In the lawsuit against special education provider Southeastern Cooperative Educational Programs (SECEP), Julie Xirau, Joshua’s mother, alleges that her son was left restrained and unsupervised, leading to the fatal outcome. Despite Joshua’s distress and self-harm, it is claimed that SECEP staff failed to intervene or provide assistance.
On October 31, 2024, Julie received a call informing her to collect Joshua from school due to misbehavior, leading to Joshua missing out on Halloween activities. As Joshua’s condition deteriorated over the following days, Julie eventually took him to the emergency room, where he tragically passed away from brain injuries on November 3, 2024.
Julie is seeking $150 million in damages from SECEP and four staff members, alleging negligence in failing to address Joshua’s injuries or inform her adequately. Local authorities investigated the incident and concluded that there was no evidence of staff wrongdoing. An obituary for Joshua describes his joyful and imaginative nature, highlighting the impact he had on those around him.
The Mirror has reached out to SECEP for comment on the matter.