Children handcuffed in school; what is going on?
Two recent incidents provide yet more evidence that the situation with
cops in the schools has gotten completely out of control.
Twelve days ago a ten year old girl was handcuffed on a school bus,
and on Friday, a five year old boy was handcuffed at his elementary
school and taken to a psychiatric hospital -- even after his
babysitter came to pick him up. Both these children had serious
disabilities which required more sensitive interventions.
According to the Daily News, the Kindergarten student, who suffers
from attention deficit disorder, speech problems and asthma, has had
nightmares ever since and will start seeing a psychologist soon.
The NYCLU and other advocacy groups have documented in detail repeated
abuses of the police and safety agents in our schools-- whose number
has grown until they now constitute the tenth largest police force in
the country. Several times, even principals have been arrested for
coming to the aid of students after they had been manhandled by safety
agents.
In 2005, the DOE suspended more students than the entire student
population of New Haven.
New legislation has been proposed, called the Student Safety Act,
which would provide more transparency and oversight as regards
disciplinary and security policies in our public schools. For more on
this important issue, see the NYCLU website here.
Posted by Leonie Haimson at 1/27/2008 06:54:00 PM
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