Courtesy of EAG News:
The boy’s wrists were too small for the handcuffs, so Kenton County Deputy Sheriff Kevin Sumner put them around the misbehaving child’s biceps.
The boy, known as S.R. in a federal lawsuit, “has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a history of trauma,” WKYT reports.
A video of the incident, which occurred at a Covington, Kentucky public school, was released in conjunction with the suit.
The boy wasn’t the only one allegedly treated that way. A 9-year-old girl was also shackled by the school resource officer in the same manner.
“Both children were being punished for behavior related to their disabilities. Neither was arrested nor charged with any criminal conduct,” according to the news station.
“Shackling children is not okay. It is traumatizing, and in this case it is also illegal,” says Susan Mizner, disability counsel for the ACLU, which has filed a lawsuit on the children’s behalf.
“Using law enforcement to discipline students with disabilities only serves to traumatize children. It makes behavioral issues worse and interferes with the school’s role in developing appropriate educational and behavioral plans for them.”
This is the very population of children that I work with and let me tell you that you simply do NOT want to involve the police unless you have no other choice.
I would also suggest that if this young child really only has a diagnosis of ADHD that this school is tragically ill equipped to deal with him, or any children with even more disruptive behaviors.
And this ACLU spokesperson in right on the money when she suggests that this response only serves to traumatize these kids further and make them much harder to handle moving forward.
Trust me I have been cursed at, spit upon, had my hair pulled, been bitten, and had a boy threaten to kill my entire family. In none of those instances did I use unnecessary force or traumatize the client in any way.
You either have the skills to deal with this population or you do not. And quite often law enforcement officials are simply not trained appropriately, nor do they have the temperament required.
If the sheriff's office was called that means the
ReplyDeleteteachers/school are unqualified to deal with these children.
That video makes me cry, poor little children. IMO, the officer committed assault and should be jailed.
ReplyDeleteThe officer was polite to the child. What is so horribly upsetting about a snivelling brat crying because he had to behave for once? A 3 1/2 ft, 52lb kid CAN hurt another adult or child, so they should've saved that piece of propaganda.
DeleteI wonder if ANY of these adults anticipated how they would feel if their kids were handcuffed and restrained in the same circumstance... and if they would call the cops on their own children... probably NOT... so why inflict this kind of trauma???
ReplyDeleteWell they didn't shoot the black child, so there's that.
ReplyDeleteThis kid looks white to me.
DeleteI actually don't blame the officer. He was doing the only thing he knew to do. I blame the school. They should have been calling in the parents and a psychologist. Most districts have a psychologist.
ReplyDeleteKid would have been shot dead if he was black.
ReplyDeleteCop would say he was attacked and "FEARED" for his life or kid was reaching for his gun ... then cop walks away free of any charges.
Just the way it goes in Murica
I think this cop might have been the school resource officer, not sure. Covington Kentucky is a very, very poor city. The schools are cash strapped and I wonder whether the child's teacher had been properly trained to deal with his behavioral issues. It takes proper training, and support, and a highly dedicated staff to deal compassionately and properly with this population.
ReplyDeleteI think that cop was in the military.
DeleteThat kid is not handcuffed, he is shackled in a stress position (torture!). Handcuffs don't hurt unless you fight them. That kid is in pain, and will be lucky if he doesn't suffer dislocation of the shoulders.
We don't see or hear the girl. Her videotape should be shown as well.
I'd like to see how quiet and cooperative that cop would be if shackled with HIS shoulders forced back until his tormenters decided they had been sadistic enough for that session.
Big fat-assed cops always bullying those who can't defend themselves or express themselves.
He must be aware of the camera.
Barbara, I think you're right about this man's job title and about the lack of resources for dealing with children with challenging behaviors.
DeleteConsider the responsibility of schools to all children, to include protecting them from kids who may be unable to regulate their own actions, due to a multitude of reasons--parental neglect/abuse, etc.
Hauksdottir, shame on you for suggesting that military service bears any responsibility for an individual's harsh treatment of a child. Frustration, lack of training, overwork, perhaps. Don't generalize to depict military vets as brutes who mistreat children
As a grandmother of autistic children, this angers me to the point of steam out my ears. Even with IEPs in place, and how my daughter has fought, these children are mainlined because no one is trained nor equipped to handle it. Disruptions in the classroom and shunned by their peers.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen one iota of discussion with local metro school boards. They are going to have to address it because it becoming more and more common.
BLESS you, Jesse, for your continuing caring and work with these children. They need all the help they can get, and I know how "some" up there attacked you and tried to take you out all because of you-know-who.
The law says they have to be mainstreamed into the classroom.
DeleteThank Bush and NCLB.
They have to take all the tests too. Because if they're not at grade level it's the teacher's fault.
When did we become so fearful and paranoid about those different from us, that we became cruel in our indifference? This breaks my heart.
ReplyDeleteWe are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having an a human experience. Life is short and I'm not taking a GD thing w/ me when I leave. But I do believe that there is a special, hellish karma waiting for those who are cruel and uncaring to children, the aged, and dogs. :)
Pithy
That kid needs an ass beating.
ReplyDeleteNo you could not be more wrong.
DeleteAnd often it is an aggressive response like that which further traumatizes these children until they become physically aggressive towards others, engage in self harm, or even take their own lives.
That fat ass man would get an ass beating if that were my child!
DeleteHow utterly ignorant of you, Mona.
DeleteNo. That child needs to be seen. And I pity you that you are unable to resonate w/ his spirit. What a poor life you have.
DeleteI have two special needs grand children. I would probably be in jail my self if this were one of them. Mona you have no idea how stupid you are. You need to go visit special needs classes and get educated.
DeleteNo Mona, you are the one who needs an ass beating. You are completely stunningly stupid and devoid of compassion, you heartless, hateful bitch.
DeleteIs that you, Mr. Trump??
DeleteThank you Gryphen for your dedication to helping this underserved and too often abused population! :) Lots of Internet hugs! :)
ReplyDeleteThere you go Gryphen, you got your ego stroked. You're her hero!
DeleteWell, DGM, since he's here advocating for better treatment for children with disabilities, I'd say that's worth a little praise, don't you?
DeleteM from MD
Handcuffing children? Can none of these adults come up with anything else? Training maybe?
ReplyDeleteWhen they started arresting kindergardeners because of behavior disorders---I knew we were doomed.
I hope that Mona 3:33 PM isn't a mother, grandmother, aunt, teacher or works in any other profession where she deals with children. If she's around children at all, my deepest sympathies go to the children.
ReplyDeleteI think there are always 2 sides to every story. What was the child doing in a setting that was not capable of handling the behavior? Had the parents sought help for his anti-social behavior? ( I have to deal with three that are non-conforming and the world revolves around them because the parents aren't capable of assessing the behavior and dealing with it appropriately - no professional medical help etc.
ReplyDeleteThe officer is saying he will take the cuffs off if the child will refrain from kicking the officer or attempting to strike the officer with his arm and elbows. This gives some insight into what was going on before the officer was called in to help.
A room full of students and it may be this little guy was putting other children in harm's way by his physical aggressiveness? None of you, none of you except Gryphen would know what to do in a room full of at risk children if this youngster was aggressive enough and strong enough to break your hold on him to get to another student.
Many years as an RN I waded into combative situations to save my staff from getting harmed. Luckily, I was always able to bring things to a safe close BUT it could have been the other way around and I would have been the victim.
At this moment and every few months I deal with an adult near by who gets violent and "ballistic" and I may well become a victim at some point. HOWEVER, we have to get her subdued with officers and deputies because the EMT's do not come until she is restrained and not a threat to them while they drive her to the psych unit, once again.
Unless you were there and know what lead up to the scene on the video I do not believe whether you are daily taking care of an impaired individual, love every little being that exists, or are one of the best teachers in the nation, you cannot know whether this was the safest for all involved or a rush to poor judgement.
Ever hear of "at the end of your rope?" None of you have any idea what the school has put up with from this mother and this child for how long? School's out now so when did this happen?
If the parents are not on deck 24/7 to teach, care for and follow medication, psych support etc. then .....
I was also an RN for many years, and I can tell you that the pediatric population are NOT treated the same as adults if they become combative. I don't think this child "throwing elbows" could have done much harm to that sheriff. This was ignorance.
DeleteMany years as an RN and you never encountered someone on the Autism Spectrum or someone suffering ADD,nor ADHD? I admire and respect the job good nurses do, but being at the end of one's rope etc is no excuse for what happened in this video. As is putting blame on the parents for the actions of this obviously unhinged man in a uniform. My take is, where were HIS parents when he physically and emotionally abused this child? Was the child read his miranda rights?
DeleteHow "difficult" is it to "google" ADHD? ADD? Autism? Asperger's Syndrome? and the gamut of issues teachers/ nurses and police are expected to deal with on a daily basis?
Yes, there are three sides to every story, no matter how flat you make it, a pancake is always three sided.
"None of you, none of you except Gryphen would know what to do in a room full of at risk children if this youngster was aggressive enough and strong enough to break your hold on him to get to another student."
DeleteHow the hell would you know? You don't know us or what we do. Turns out I do know how to handle children like this. One thing we don't do is call the police on an 8 year old. As was mentioned, we would be trying behavior modification, calling the parents, and calling the district psychologist for support. We would be assessing the child and implementing an IEP that met his needs. The child's pediatrician would be involved as well. The child would NOT be shackled. That was beyond heart-wrenching to watch. As for "school is out now," I'm guessing you are clueless about every district determining start times and year round schools. You're arrogant and ignorant.
Really?
DeleteI am a retired teacher librarian.
I taught a class of 12 autistic children K-4, various degrees of severity.
Don't assume anything about your audience.
It is likely not just a lack of training for these law enforcement officers but another case of hammer meets nail. That is, when you are a hammer everything is a nail - a result of the militarization of police forces.
ReplyDeleteSo tired of that.
Covington is in Kenton County, KY, which is in the Cincinnati, OH, census region. A lot of the people in the county work in Cincinnati -- as a result, income levels in the county are good with only about 9 percent of the county below the poverty line.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Covington is a different story. The city has been losing population since the 1960 census, down from 60,000 to around 40,000. The poverty level in the city is high -- about 15.5% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.0% of those under age 18 and 13.4% of those age 65 or over.
Thus, the schools are not exactly swimming in money and neither are families.
It's a lot easier to cuff the kid than to have a special ed teacher deal with him.
Thanks, Gryphen, for doing this post. I felt physically sick to my stomach when I saw it. I can't believe, in this day and age, that any teacher doesn't have the capacity to deal with these issues effectively on their own. When my kids were in school, I volunteered as a teacher's aide whenever I had the time, and saw teachers dealing with kids with ADHD. It takes patience, understanding of the child's capabilities and limits, and treating them with as much respect and care you'd afford other students. I've witnessed it quite a few times, and it's about humanity, compassion and putting yourself second. Despite what people think, most of these kids with ADHD are extremely intelligent. How it escalated to this level is just beyond the pale.
ReplyDeleteI hope the ACLU wins and I hope this video educates people that being "different" isn't a "bad thing".
The emotional, psychological and physical damage inflicted by this stupid act has undone years of patience in "getting through". The humiliation, alone, must break their spirit.
Watching this made me so upset that I had to turn off the tv and go outside. No child should be so abused, and by an authority figure.
ReplyDeleteThe kid was throwing a bratty temper tantrum & got much less that it deserved. If that is the worst "abuse" it ever encounters, it will be damn lucky.
ReplyDeleteThis man has no business wearing a uniform if it can't handle a nine year olds temper tantrum.
ReplyDeleteThis is the kind of person that shoots somebody they've pulled over for a malfunctioning blinker because they dare ask why they've been pulled over.
Is Kentucky one of the states looking to rid itself of certificated, trained, professional educators and replace them with adults with a high school diploma who pass a test and work for an hourly wage with no benefits?
ReplyDeleteBecause this is what you're gonna get, only more so.
Without question such behavior is wrong and school administrators and boards need to be held accountable.
ReplyDeleteI watch a critic of this behavior state this is happening in our schools, to which I say he needs to offer a public apology to all the schools throughout the nation that don't engage in this sort of thing.