Guiding Hands School Employees Indicted for Max Benson's Death

On November 30th, 2018, 13-year-old Californian Max Benson died due to medical complications following physical mistreatment at the now-defunct Guiding Hands School for students with special needs. People Magazine reports that on November 28th, Benson, who was autistic, “had his face pressed against the floor for an hour while being restrained at the school.” He became unresponsive during this incident, and though Benson allegedly woke after receiving CPR and was transported to UC Davis Medical Center, he ultimately did not survive.

The California Department of Education suspended the private school’s certification about a week afterward, leading to its closure after more than 25 years in operation.

According to ABC10, former employees Executive Director Cindy Keller, Principal Staranne Meyers, and Special Education Teacher Kimberly Wohlwend pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter on November 13th, 2019. Earlier this week, the three ex-employees as well as the Guiding Hands School were indicted by a California grand jury, each with a single involuntary manslaughter charge. ABC10 reports that “the three women are due to appear in court for a trial setting conference on September 2.”

People Magazine could not yet confirm the school’s legal representative. Guiding Hands School is additionally involved in separate lawsuits from families of children “injured or killed during the use of restraints,” including a civil lawsuit from Benson’s family.