Kentucky Officer Facing Lawsuit for Allegedly Handcuffing Two Children With ADHD

According to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union(ACLU), two children with disabilities were allegedly handcuffed as punishment by a deputy sheriff in Kentucky.

Kenton County Deputy Sheriff Kevin Sumner and Sheriff Chuck Korzenborn are named in the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. Eastern District Court of Kentucky.

According to the lawsuit, the children have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A video capturing an 8-year-old boy handcuffed around his biceps and crying out in pain has been released by the authorities. A 9-year-old girl has also been handcuffed twice like this by the officer.

"If you want the handcuffs off, you're going to have to behave and ask me nicely. And if you're behaving, I'll take them off, but as long as you're acting up, you're not going to get them off," he said in the video released.

"Both children were being punished for behavior related to their disabilities," said the ACLU.

"It is heartbreaking to watch my little boy suffer because of this experience. It's hard for him to sleep. He has anxiety, and he is scared of seeing the officer in the school. School should be a safe place for children. It should be a place they look forward to going to. Instead, this has turned into a continuing nightmare for my son," said the boy's mother according to ACLU.

Kenyon Meyer, an attorney for the boy's family said, "Handcuffs have no place in schools with little children who are having discipline issues."

"Using law enforcement to discipline students with disabilities only serves to traumatize children. It makes behavioral issues worse and interferes with the school's role in developing appropriate educational and behavioral plans for them," said Susan Mizner, disability counsel for the ACLU.



Source: Medindia