05/19/2026
The calls from Field Elementary in Louisville, Kentucky kept coming, but nothing the school said about her son matched the little boy she knew at home.
Tiphanee Lee is the mother of Semaj, a 7-year-old with severe nonverbal autism. Because Semaj cannot speak, he could not tell her what his days at school were actually like. When his behavior seemed off, and the school denied her request to sit in and observe his class, she had to find another way to get answers.
She clipped a small hidden camera inside his dreadlocks and sent him to school on May 13.
What the recording captured led to abuse allegations against a staff member at the school. Audio from that day includes a staff member speaking aggressively to Semaj, using a racial slur, and calling him "boy." Semaj can be heard screaming toward the end of the recording. The footage also raised questions about whether other adults in the room failed to step in.
Jefferson County Public Schools confirmed it is investigating alongside Child Protective Services. The staff member has been removed from the building while the investigation continues. At a press conference, Tiphanee spoke directly about the trust that was broken. "We trusted his school to protect him, to care for him, and to treat him with dignity," she said. "Instead, he was harmed, silenced, and failed."
Tiphanee is now calling on the district to install cameras in all classrooms that serve nonverbal and special needs students.
If Semaj could tell you in his own words what happened to him that day, what do you think he would most need the adults in his life to understand?
