When Diana Hernandez picked up her son from a therapy session at Maximum Achievers in West Palm Beach, Florida, on February 23, 2026, she immediately knew something bad had happened. Her son, who is autistic and nonverbal, was shaking in fear. When they got home, the mother allegedly found new bruises and marks on his body. Hernandez contacted Maximum Achievers, wanting an explanation, and demanded to see surveillance video from her son’s session with Reylan Garnier. What she saw positively horrified her.
Hernandez told CBS 12 that her twin boys had been seeing separate therapists at Maximum Achievers for quite some time. Garnier had worked with his alleged victim multiple times in the past. Hernandez had no idea something like this could happen to him.
“The first mark I saw was the one on his ribs, and then I see the bite, and then I see the bruise on his lower back,” she said, per the outlet. “I’m like, this is unacceptable. This could not have been done by him.”
In the video, Garnier appears to intentionally throw objects, such as a ball and a shoe, at the boy. He also hits him repeatedly on the backside with a shoe.
“That’s my biggest fear,” the heartbroken mother said. “To see my son get hurt and not be there to protect him.”
When Hernandez approached the center, she claims the owner downplayed the incident and told her not to contact police. That completely enraged her.
“Why are you risking your whole business for this man?” she said, per CBS 12. “You’re supposed to be taking care of my kids. I put my kids in your hands.” The center reportedly fired Garnier, but Hernandez wants him behind bars.
CBS 12 visited Garnier at his apartment in West Palm Beach. He seemed saddened by the situation.
“I thought that I was the right person to help but I failed, and I regret everything,” he said. The man claims his case load was very difficult for a beginning therapist and he lost control.
“Many things disturbing me and I lost everything,” he told the news outlet. “You lost everything?” CBS 12 asked the former therapist.
“Yes, I’m no criminal. I am not what is on the news, even that is there. I am immigrant. I came here to work to do the best of me,” Garnier said. “I made mistake. I regret. I would regret that because God is over me.” He now faces a felony child abuse charge.
Sure, we all have bad days, but that doesn’t mean we start beating on children. This may not be the profession for Garnier. But equally as bothersome is Maximum Achievers allegedly trying to protect him. If that’s true, the entire place needs to go down.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
