The mother of a 6-year-old Jacksonville, FL student, Nadia King, with special needs has been left outraged after discovering school officials sent her child to a mental health facility without consent.
What We Know:
- An attorney for the family stated that Nadia was also given anti-psychotic medications at the center, without the permission of Martina Falk, her mother. The child remained on lock-down at the facility for nearly 48 hours.
- Falk recalled a conversation she had with the same Love Grove Elementary School officials, who explicitly told her, “There’s nothing else we could do. Your daughter is completely out of control, and we were not able to de-escalate the situation.” According to an ABC News report, their decision was solely based on the recommendation of licensed health care professionals.
A Florida family seeks answers after a 6-year-old girl with special needs was removed from school & taken by police to a behavioral facility, kept from her mother for nearly 2 days.
The case has drawn new attention to a controversial law, @BojorquezCBS reports pic.twitter.com/iWZyyzXPPM
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) February 15, 2020
- Nadia’s counselor had reportedly diagnosed her with a mood disorder after an evaluation, and determined it necessary she be committed under the Florida Mental Health Act of 1971, commonly known as the “Baker Act.”
- Spokesperson for Duval County Public Schools, Tracey Pierce, explained how schools only call for counselor assistance with the Child Guidance Center when a student is displaying behavior deemed either a risk to themselves or others.
- In accordance to what school officials said, Pierce reassured that the steps followed were in order to de-escalate the situation before a counselor was called and the student’s parents are notified once the counselor decides the child in question should be committed under the Baker Act. Despite this, Falk advised that the school never contacted nor notified her until after Nadia was committed at the facility.
The Child Guidance Center has since denied any other comments to news outlets.
