Victim’s family considers civil suit following alleged therapy center abuse

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The family of a nine-year-old boy with autism hired an attorney to look into suing the behavior analyst facing criminal charges for allegedly harming him.

In August of 2021, the boy left a therapy center called Rehab For All with bruises and scratches. The young boy claimed 33-year-old Brian Schaffer choked him so hard he couldn't breathe, picked him up, and threw him.

"His mom's really proud of how he stood up for himself," Debbie Taussig, the family's attorney, said.

Schaffer was fired from Rehab For All following the incident and was charged with two counts of felony assault. He pleaded not guilty this week, with a judge setting his trial for July.

"It's really upsetting to the victim now, because now it's going to drag out until July, and there's not going to be any closure unless there's a plea taken in the meantime," Taussig said. "One of the concerns about him going to trial and being found "not guilty", it's back to square one where he can do anything."

The family is hoping civil action can require Schaffer to be barred from working with children again. They want to prevent other families from being harmed. Schaffer also faced allegations of abuse in Arizona before moving to Colorado Springs.

Schaffer's behavioral analyst license was censured in Arizona in 2020 after an incident where Schaffer was "observed conducting overly aggressive and restrictive behavior" with a four-year-old boy with autism, according to meeting notes from the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners. The meeting notes also indicate that he was placed on leave and then fired from his position following the incident.

KRDO has repeatedly tried to reach out to Rehab For All for comment, but they have not returned our request for comment.

Schaffer is due back in court in April.