EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. — June 17, 2025
A judge in El Dorado County Superior Court on Monday signaled he may reject a plea agreement for three former educators at Guiding Hands School in El Dorado Hills, charged in the 2018 death of 13-year-old Max Benson, a student with autism who died after being restrained face-down for nearly two hours.
Judge Mark Ralphs, after hearing a harrowing victim impact statement from the Benson family’s attorney, delayed the sentencing of site administrator Cindy Keller, teacher Kimberly Wohlwend, and principal Staranne Meyers to August 8, stating, “Based on what I’ve heard today, I’m not prepared to accept this plea agreement.”
The three educators had pleaded no contest to reduced charges earlier this year, avoiding a trial that could have resulted in prison time for involuntary manslaughter. But the courtroom turned somber as Dustin Collier, representing the Benson family, described the prolonged and fatal restraint of Max, who vomited, urinated on himself, and ultimately went into cardiac arrest before emergency services were called—nearly 30 minutes after he lost consciousness.
“Max’s unimaginable suffering continued unabated,” Collier told the court, his voice breaking. “By the time paramedics arrived, Max was no longer breathing at all… They let him die in their hands.”
Max died the following day at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento. A lawsuit filed by the family alleges that the boy had spat at another student, triggering the restraint. Wohlwend and the others reportedly held Max prone for 95 minutes—well beyond accepted standards—leading to his brain death.
Judge Ralphs, who was not involved in the earlier phases of the case, said he had not reviewed evidence or discovery files. The case, delayed for years, originated from a 2018 El Dorado County grand jury indictment and followed an investigation by the California Department of Education, which concluded that school staff used “unreasonable and unnecessary force.”
The Guiding Hands School, which served special needs children across Sacramento Valley school districts—including Elk Grove, Folsom Cordova, and Davis—closed permanently in January 2019 after its certification was revoked. Benson’s death prompted legislative changes in California, banning the use of prone restraints in schools.
Should the judge ultimately reject the current plea deal, the case may proceed to a full trial on the original felony charges.
Attorneys for the defendants will have the opportunity to argue in favor of the plea agreement during the August hearing.
