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Florida school defends handcuffing seven-year-old boy with special needs
The Guardian
Mon March 9, 2020
Area: Tampa, St. Petersburg (Sarasota)
A Florida school security officer handcuffed a seven-year-old boy with special needs and had him taken to a mental health facility, a decision the boy's mother is criticizing but school officials are defending.
It's the second time in weeks Florida officials have been criticized for restraining a young child for having an emotional meltdown at school.
Tyeisha Harmon of Clearwater told reporters her son, who has emotional issues and is supposed to have a structured environment, acted out in class last Wednesday at Belcher Elementary School. She said he recently changed classrooms, which triggered him.
What exactly happened in the classroom isn't known. Harmon says the school called her but by the time she arrived her son had been taken to a mental health facility. She said he was examined and released four hours later. Showing her marks on his wrists, he told her he was handcuffed before being driven away in a police car.
"To handcuff him and put him in the backseat - not only did you handcuff him but you did it so tightly that it left marks on his hands and he's seven. What's he going to do? He's seven and in the backseat," Harmon told WFTS-TV.
Pinellas county officials issued a statement defending the officer, saying Harmon's son "was engaging in dangerous activity that could have hurt the student or others.
"Please know that restraint of students is only used as a last resort when other interventions have not resolved the issue. The safety, health and wellbeing of our students and staff is our highest priority."
Video released last month showed an Orlando reserve police officer arresting six-year-old Kaia Rolle, whose wrists were zip tied before she was led begging and crying to a patrol car.
She had kicked and punched staff members but had calmed down before officers arrived. The officer was fired for not following department policy, which requires the approval of superiors before arresting any child under 12.
The Florida House passed a measure last week that would require police agencies adopt policies regulating the arrest of anyone under 10. It is now awaiting action by the state senate.
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