Family of boy with autism wins countersuit against neighbor in San Jose

A neighbor sued a San Jose family whose son has autism, claiming the child’s grunts in the back were a “nuisance.” The family countersued and, this week, a jury ruled in their favor. Ezequiel, known as Zeke, is a 14-year-old teenager who suffers from Level 3 autism, a severe form of the disorder that sometimes involves loud grunting. “It requires very high support needs. Usually full care with dressing, bathing, toileting, dangers, safety. It’s a lot,” Zeke’s mom Serena Arvayo said. Zeke and his mom lived with her dad in a home in San Jose until a neighbor filed a lawsuit, claiming her property value was dropping because of Zeke, and that she was suffering emotional distress, labeling the child a “nuisance”. That’s a word the family says traumatized them. “It was hurtful. You use that for an animal, or a car alarm that won t shut off. But not an autistic individual,” Arvayo said. “Completely outrageous. I mean, how can a family intentionally inflict emotional distress