When Chrystal McCadden arrived at the Brownell STEM Academy she found him handcuffed, and demanded that the handcuffs be taken off of 7 year old Caden. McCadden said that the officer who placed the handcuffs on her son told her he didn't have the key to remove them.
"'You put my son in handcuffs and you don't have the key?'" McCadden said. "What sense does that make?"
Police say they received an urgent call from the after-school program reporting that there was a student who was not only a threat to other kids but to himself.
According to a police statement, "An officer was dispatched to Brownell STEM Academy in response to an urgent call for immediate assistance with a child who appeared intent on injuring himself, as well as repeatedly assaulting others,"
Flint Community Schools told the local media that it was working with the police to get to the bottom of exactly what took place at the after-school program.
But schools should never have to collaborate with the police to calm a 7 year old.
While it is unclear how the handcuffs were taken off Caden, McCadden is still furious that her little boy was ever handcuffed in the first place. "He don't deserve to be in no handcuffs," she said "He ain't in here with no knife. He ain't in here with no gun."
PR
Well, we're back to how to maintain order in a classroom where someone's child is acting out. Only difference is that "officer slam" was not present and did not drag the child on the floor or punch him. Handcuffs might not be such a bad idea if we compare it to the tactics of "officer slam". What should we do if the child is determined to be a danger to himself and others? Should we escort him to a padded room? Should we call an ambulance so that the child can get the medical treatment he needs? (After all, it would appear that this child had not received his daily dose of medications, which would cause him to act out.) Of course, I believe that a psychiatrist, psychologist or at the very least, A social worker should be present for ADHD children in programs that they attend during and after school, but I don't know if the school has those resources--and if they don't have those resources perhaps they should not be accredited as a school. I will say, however, that the only children I have seen in handcuffs have been Black children--that disturbs me from a racial standpoint.
ReplyDeleteIt is disturbing! Some things are just wrong. Not rational, reasonable, or sensible.
ReplyDelete