Three St. Tammany paraprofessionals accused in an alleged abuse case against a disabled student will enter a diversion program, avoiding trial.

Paraprofessionals Tiffany Bourgeois, Angela Rayer, and Leslie Cookmeyer faced charges of simple battery on the infirm after St. Tammany father Justin Ferris said they hurt his son, Zander, who is blind and has autism. Advertisement

All three were accused in a lawsuit filed by the Ferris family after they obtained video of the alleged abuse.

The family alleges the video shows Zander being forced into a chair at the cafeteria, then his head being pushed down onto the table.

According to the St. Tammany Parish District Attorney's Office, the original case was reported to a school resource officer and didn't get to District Attorney Colin Sims' of

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