Most of the staff at Peter Crump Elementary were kind and professional, but Sheila Bolling (Ms. Bolling), the speech therapist assigned to me from 2005 to 2009, was not one of them. She created one of the most traumatizing and mentally damaging experiences of my childhood. From Kindergarten (2005) to 3rd Grade (2008/2009), I was placed in speech therapy sessions with Ms. Bolling due to a stutter and minor speech delays. Rather than receiving encouragement and support, I was met with manipulation, fear, physical intimidation, and emotional abuse. Ms. Bolling had a chilling presence. Her sessions were filled with icy stares and intimidating tones that made me feel small and powerless. I was a child who needed help, but she treated me like a problem, not a student. She never celebrated my progress. Instead, she focused on my mistakes, turning every session into something I dreaded. In 3rd grade, she began spreading false rumors that I was cursing in the restroom, something I never did. As a child who barely understood profanity at that age, I was confused and heartbroken. These lies led to teachers and even other students looking at me differently, treating me like I was "bad." I now realize that these were deliberate fabrications and they harmed my reputation and emotional wellbeing. When I mispronounced words or stuttered and sometimes get baited into reaching for objects, she would sometimes hit my fingers with a pen and ruler as punishment. That pain and fear didn't just hurt physically, it crushed my confidence and made me afraid to speak. I learned to stay quiet, not because I wanted to, but because she made me feel ashamed for trying. Ms. Bolling often isolated me from others, not just physically by pulling me out of class, but emotionally. I felt like I was broken like I was a burden. She never smiled. Never encouraged. Never reassured me. Her words and body language were filled with contempt. She didn't want to help me; she wanted to control me. Even after all these years her actions still affect me. I still work through anxiety, trust issues, and self-worth problems that stem directly from those early experiences with Ms. Bolling. No child deserves to be treated the way I was. If you're a parent reading this, please pay close attention to how your child responds to their educators, especially therapists who work behind closed doors. Just because someone has a degree or title does not mean they're fit to work with children. I hope this review serves as a warning and encourages accountability. What happened to me should never happen to another child (or patient since last time I heard, Ms. Bolling is a nurse). read more