PSL Teacher In Trouble

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL --- A teacher in Port St. Lucie who made national headlines two years ago is under scrutiny once again.

A report by the U-S Dept of Education, Office for Civil Rights has found that Wendy Portillo and two other teachers discriminated against a student with a disability at Allapattah Flats K-8 School in Port St. Lucie.

The girl is hearing-impaired, and her teachers were required to wear a microphone so she could hear them in the classroom.

But investigators found the teachers didn't wear the microphone consistently, denying the girl the right to a free and appropriate public education.

Portillo is the same teacher who, in 2008, had her students vote a 5-year-old autistic boy, Alex Barton out of their kindergarten class at Morningside Elementary.

"I can't say that I am surprised. I've fought very hard to correct this district and correct this teacher and here we are again!" said Alex's mother, Melissa Barton.

"It's very saddening to me to see that this is still taking place with the same teacher, and the same school board and another child with a disability."

The girl with the hearing impairment no longer attends Allapattah Flats. 

Her mother took her out of the school.

A school district spokeswoman said they had no comment on the federal report.

The district has been ordered to re-train the teachers involved.