Video of student with autism being punched by paraprofessional released; family files $5.5M lawsuit

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN (WABC) -- For the first time, we are seeing disturbing video of a student with autism punched at a school in New York.

A paraprofessional pleaded guilty to hitting the student and now the tape of that assault has been released.

The boy's parents have filed a lawsuit.

Anatoly Veltman is now 13 years old. His bruised eye and concussion have healed, but the nightmare is far from over for his family

"My son, now even when we pass by the school, he runs away from me, he's afraid of the school building since what happened to him," said Anatoly Veltman, Sr., the victim's father.

It was August 2014 inside PS 225 in Brighton Beach. Eyewitness News is told the young autistic student who has the mental capacity of a 6-year-old, was acting up in the lunch room.

The video shows the paraprofessional approach young Anatoly, and then the blow.

"It is outrageous and unacceptable for a school paraprofessional to punch an 11-year-old autistic child," said Sanford Rubenstein, the family's attorney.

The worker, 59-year-old Milton Parker, pled guilty last April to misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to anger management classes.

He has since retired after 26 years with the Department of Education.

Parker reportedly defended himself by arguing the student had thrown the first punch and he was simply, responding in kind.

Now the student's family is striking back with a $5.5 million lawsuit against Parker, the Department of Education, and the City of New York.

"This young man had to double his medication after this incident and his autism has gotten worse," Rubenstein said.