A child diagnosed with ADD and ODD was handcuffed and detained by police, his parents say
A new lawsuit was filed in the case of a 10-year-old disabled boy who was allegedly put in a chokehold when a Louisiana deputy responded to his school on May 13, 2021.
The boy’s parents, Ashley Hutchinson-Harper and Terry Harper, say that their son’s civil rights were violated—specifically that the responding deputy failed to adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act, per a report from When his parents arrived, the lawsuit says, they were not permitted to see him, and he was held for four hours at the Jefferson Parish Juvenile Assessment Center.
The child was charged with two counts of battery of a police officer, one count of resisting arrest, one count of battery of a schoolteacher, and one count of simple criminal damage of less than $1,000, NBC News reported. The charges were later dismissed.
The family is seeking unspecified damages and a permanent ban on the excessive use of physical restraints and handcuffing of students with disabilities.
TheGrio reached out to both the school district and the sheriff’s office for a response. “Jefferson Parish Schools does not comment on pending litigation,” the school district said, while the sheriff’s office had “no comment” on the incident.
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