Restraining Disabled Children

December 15, 2010

I know this has been a topic before, but I can't find it in the threads, so I'll

ask.

My 12 yo ds was put in handcuffs this morning by the school resource officer.

While the SRO was putting the handcuffs on, apparently it was necessary to take

my son to the ground. He ended up hitting his head on the floor hard enough to

get hurt. He has a golf-ball sized lump on between his eyebrow and his eye

(basically most of the upper eye-lid). When I walked in the room, the first

thing my son told me was that his " eyebrow was hurt when Deputy X put him on the

ground " . Did I mention that my son was still in handcuff when I got there, even

though it was obvious that he was no danger to anyone at that time?

The deputy and the vice principal were both in the room with my son when I

arrived, and neither one said that my son had become agressive with anyone.

They said he was upset and made some comments but never actually made any type

of attempt against anyone.

Don't get me wrong, please. I know that there are times when my son has to be

restrained for his own safety and that of others, but aren't handcuffs a little

over the top?

When I first walked into the room, I stopped at the door to listen to what

happened from the SRO and v.p. When I walked across the room, I noticed the

swelling above my son's eye before I even got to him. The SRO told me

repeatedly that my son didn't hit his head (my son was telling me over and over

about his eyebrow). When I got to my son, I turned and asked the SRO, " Have you

seen his eye? If he didn't hit his head on the floor, what happened to his

eye? " The SRO said he didn't know. I asked him to come and look at my son's

face. Then the SRO started telling me " Well, I didn't think he hit his head on

the floor. " Apparently even though my son was telling them that he was hurt,

they didn't look at him to see.

I've contacted the advocate we've started using here in this area, and she's

made some calls already, but I'm just wondering if this is out of line. It

seems to be over the top to me, but I'm still getting familiar with Louisiana's

special education laws, and can't find anything yet about SRO's and this type of

restraint with diabled kids.

Thanks for letting me rant a little.

Angi Clifton

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