Family, Friends Push For Justice At Memorial For Teen With Autism Who Died After Being Restrained

EL DORADO COUNTY (CBS13) — It was an emotional day at the memorial for 13-year-old Max Benson who died after being restrained by staff at Guiding Hands School in November 2018.

"I feel he's here in my heart and in the hearts of many people," Chuck Langley, Benson's grandfather, said.

"The hole that has been left since he got taken away can't be measured," Lisa Wright, a family friend, said.

The teen was described by many as a wonderful kid who had a gifted mind and a kind heart.

"Max, I used to describe as a full-grown puppy we didn't know was full-grown," Wright said. "He just had so much energy and so much love and so much joy."

Benson, a special-needs student with Autism, died in November 2018 after he reportedly became violent while at Guiding Hands School, and was restrained by one of the school's employees.

At some point, Benson became unresponsive and that's when a teacher performed life-saving measures on Benson, according to the El Dorado County Sherriff's Office.

"Most of you have had the experience of sending your child out the school expecting them to come home, and then it's an amazingly terrible event when that doesn't happen," Langley said.

MORE: 3 School Employees To Be Charged With Manslaughter After 2018 Death Of Special Needs Student

Three members of the Guiding Hands staff were charged with involuntary manslaughter — all of whom pleaded not guilty.

Benson's family also filed a joint civil lawsuit with another family of the school.

State law restricts when and how long school staff can hold a child in behavioral restraints. The state determined that the school did violate that law.

"He's charged the individuals in the corporation in this situation so that the message is if you do it, your corporation, your business is likely to suffer," Seth Goldstein, the attorney representing Max Benson's family, said.

Some said Sunday afternoon's memorial at the El Dorado County District Attorney's Office was about remembering the teen as well as continuing the fight for Benson.

"It's so important so that this never happens again," Jennifer Abbanat, a family friend, said. "We have to show the world that these are children."

"This is part for us of an effort to try to prevent this from happening again. I hope we can make some small contribution to that," Langley said.

The criminal case is set to resume on January 7.