Ex-DPS employee seen hitting nonverbal child, picking him up by ankles found competent

DAYTON — A court has found a former school employee who was seen on video hitting a nonverbal child, competent to stand trial.

On Monday, Darrick Sorrells, 56, was in court for a competency hearing. A Montgomery County Common Pleas judge ruled that Sorrells’ was “restored to competency.”

This comes after Sorrells was found incompetent but restorable by a judge in February.

As News Center 7 previously reported, Sorrells is facing one count of assault and two counts of endangering children.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘It’s a battle;’ Family sues DPS, former employee after staff member seen hitting nonverbal child

The charges stem from an Aug. 21, 2023 surveillance video that caught Sorrells, who was an employee at Rosa Parks Early Learning Center at the time, taking care of a 4-year-old boy with special needs.

Sorrells was pulling the child in a wagon when he got out of the wagon and took off running. The video showed Sorrells chasing after the boy and when he caught up to him, Sorrells was seen hitting the child on the head and knocking him down.

The video then showed Sorrells picking the child up by the ankles and carrying him upside down back down the hallway.

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Another employee at the school saw the incident and took the child from Sorrells.

He was placed on administrative leave, but later “resigned in lieu of termination.”

In July, the parents of the child announced they were suing Sorrells, Dayton Public Schools, and the school board.

Sorrells is due next in court in early September.

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