STT. Mother Sues School After Autistic Son, 11, Suffers Fatal Head Trauma While Restrained in Class
Joshua Sikes is only eleven years old.
I love toy babies, miniature Lego models, Baby Yoda, and the simple joy of playing in the water in the park on warm afternoons.
Joshua is an autistic boy with very limited verbal communication skills and a gentle, mild-mannered personality.
And in the final moments of his life, according to the lawsuit filed by his mother, Joshua lay locked in a makeshift “prison” right in his own classroom, crying and calling out for the only person who made him feel safe.
“I miss you, Mom.”
Those words, enshrined in legal documents, now resonate like a haunting refrain in a case that has shocked parents, advocates for the rights of children with disabilities, and the educational community across Virginia and the United States.
Joshua Sikes passed away in his sleep in the early morning of November 3, 2024.
Subsequent medical conclusions indicated that the child had suffered brain death due to a head injury, believed to have occurred a few days earlier in her special education classroom.
His mother, Julie Xirau, said she was never told the truth about what had happened to her son.
Instead, she was simply told that Joshua had “behaved inappropriately.”
When the classroom turns into a prison cage.
According to a civil lawsuit filed against Southeastern Cooperative Educational Programs, commonly known as SECEP, Joshua was tied up and isolated in a classroom on October 31, 2024.
The lawsuit alleges that school staff constructed a makeshift detention space using bookshelves, cabinets, and heavy-duty straps.
This space has been described as a “prison,” designed to completely restrict Joshua’s ability to move.
Inside that space, Joshua allegedly became increasingly panicked and mentally distressed.
While tied up and isolated, Joshua reportedly lay down on the classroom floor.
She started kicking her legs.
She started banging her head repeatedly against the floor.
The lawsuit alleges that as time went on, SECEP employees stood by and did nothing to intervene.
They didn’t stop me.
They didn’t call emergency services.
They haven’t contacted my mother.
A call no parent should ever receive.
At around 2 p.m. on October 31, Julie Xirau received a call from the school.
She was informed that her son had “misbehaved.”
She was asked to come and pick up her child.
No further information was provided.
Trusting the people entrusted with the care of her child, Julie agreed.
Trying to apply what she deemed appropriate discipline, Julie told Joshua that he wouldn’t be going trick-or-treating that Halloween night.
Joshua was completely devastated.
Halloween is something I can understand.
It was one of the few events I was looking forward to.
What Julie didn’t know was that her son had been injured before.
What Julie didn’t know was that Joshua’s brain might have started to swell.
And because Joshua’s verbal communication skills are very limited, the lawsuit alleges that he was unable to articulate the horrific truth about what happened to him in class that day.
The following days
The following day, November 1st, Joshua was no longer himself.
She became lethargic.
She withdrew into herself.
Julie and Joshua’s caregiver kept a close eye on him throughout the day, as it was a school holiday.
As time passed, Joshua’s condition did not improve.
On the contrary, it’s getting worse.
By November 2nd, Julie’s anxiety had turned into genuine fear.
She took her son to the emergency room for an examination.
Having been completely uninformed about her child being tied up, isolated, or suffering a head injury at school, Julie didn’t know what to tell the doctors.
The doctors in the emergency room examined Joshua and advised her to take him to see a specialist.
Julie plans to do that right away.
But she no longer had the chance.
Joshua passed away in his sleep in the early morning of November 3, 2024.
I’m only eleven years old.
Julie found her son lying in bed, exactly where she had tucked him in and laid him down just hours earlier.
According to the lawsuit, Joshua was declared brain dead due to a head injury sustained in the classroom.
The mother’s lawsuit and the public’s divided opinion.
Julie Xirau is currently pursuing a $150 million lawsuit against SECEP and four specific employees.
The lawsuit alleges gross negligence, failure to provide timely medical assistance, and failure to inform parents about a child’s serious injuries.
Julie’s lawyer, Matthew J. Moynihan, argued that the school’s actions deprived Joshua of his chance of survival.
They believe that with timely medical intervention, Joshua could still be alive.
SECEP has not yet commented publicly on the lawsuit.
The organization had previously been contacted by media outlets, including The Mirror, for their opinion.
Official investigations and contradictory conclusions
Joshua’s death is being investigated by local authorities and Child Protective Services.
According to a report by local NPR station WHRV, Commonwealth Attorney Colin Stolle of Virginia Beach stated that he found “no evidence” to suggest that school staff were criminally liable in the incident.
The Child Protective Services agency concluded that the neglect, if any, was likely caused by “an unidentified perpetrator.”
Allegations of physical violence were also concluded to be unfounded.
These conclusions completely contradict what was presented in the civil lawsuit.
For Julie, they offered no comfort whatsoever.
Remember Joshua, not the headlines.
Outside of legal documents and investigative reports, Joshua Sikes is simply a deeply loved child.
Her obituary, posted on the Altmeyer Funeral Homes & Crematory website, paints a completely different picture.
It was the image of a boy whose presence brought light to those around him.
Joshua’s joy was quiet but powerful.
Your kindness comes naturally.
Her spirit is pure and innocent.
From a young age, Joshua’s world was filled with imagination.
I never get tired of playing with toy babies and dolls.
I build miniature universes with Lego.
Baby Yoda is one of my closest friends.
Joshua finds happiness in the little things.
A walk in the park.
Water splashed onto her little hands.
The laughter rang out easily and genuinely.
Those who knew Joshua said he had the ability to touch people’s hearts without saying a word.
This incident raises bigger questions.
Joshua’s death has reignited the nationwide debate in the United States about the use of restraint and isolation in special education.
Organizations advocating for the rights of persons with disabilities have long warned that these measures can be extremely dangerous, especially for children with autism or those who lack the ability to express themselves.
They argued that restraint should only be used as a last resort.
And even then, there must be strict supervision and immediate medical monitoring.
Joshua’s case has forced educators and policymakers to confront difficult questions.
Who will protect the children who cannot speak up for themselves?
Who will supervise when the classroom becomes a place of fear instead of safety?
And where does the real responsibility lie when the system fails?
A life that should have continued
Joshua Sikes should be twelve years old now.
I should still be building Lego.
She should still be laughing and playing in the park.
I should be looking forward to next year’s Halloween.
Instead, her story ends in the courtroom.
And the pain of a mother will never heal.
Julie Xirau is not just seeking monetary compensation.
She was searching for the truth.
She seeks accountability.
And above all, she sought justice for a boy who was unable to tell the world what had happened to him.
