Education
Guiding Hands School Trial Cancelled Following Two Guilty Pleas in Max Benson Death
05.19.2025
Cindy Keller, former Executive Director, and Staranne Meyers, Principal of Guiding Hands, pleaded guilty during a May 12th readiness conference. These guilty pleas preempted a potentially significant trial concerning seclusion and restraint policy in American schools.
EL DORADO HILLS, CA. – The scheduled May 27, 2025 trial involving Guiding Hands School personnel Cindy Keller, Staranne Meyers, and Kimberly Wohlwend has been called off. During a pre-trial readiness conference on May 12, 2025, Ms. Keller and Ms. Meyers pleaded guilty, leading to the cancellation of the Guiding Hands trial. This trial was anticipated to be the most significant U.S. legal case concerning the use of seclusion and restraint in schools. Kyle Maichle, President, Americans for Autism Advocacy, issues the following statement:
“The road to justice for Max Benson’s family is nearing a long-awaited conclusion. Ms. Keller’s and Ms. Meyers’ guilty pleas have established a precedent concerning seclusion and restraint practices within the American educational system. Federal and state elected officials are now on notice. Loopholes in current state laws regarding seclusion and restraint require immediate legislative action to introduce solutions to ensure every special education student is treated with dignity. A bipartisan federal ban on seclusion and restraint in schools participating in the national school lunch program requires immediate Congressional action in addition to fixing up state laws. The guilty pleas of Ms. Keller and Ms. Meyers serve as a clear warning to all school personnel nationwide: the illegal restraint of special needs students will result in criminal prosecution. The Americans for Autism Advocacy board of directors extends well wishes to the Benson family as they continue their healing journey.”
Kimberly Wohlwend, a former teacher at Guiding Hands, was scheduled for a readiness conference in El Dorado County Court on May 16, 2025. Ms. Keller and Ms. Meyers are scheduled for sentencing on June 16, 2025, in the El Dorado County Superior Court in Placerville, California. AFAA will release an additional statement after the findings of Ms. Wohlwend’s conference are made public by the Clerk of Court.
