Handcuffing an out-of-control Georgia kindergartner. Was there a better response?
UPDATE Tuesday at 1:22 p.m.: Since writing about this yesterday when there was just the one news story, this incident has drawn widespread attention around the country.
The AJC now has a more detailed story online.
That story states:
Police said a small shelf thrown by the child struck the principal in the leg during the fracas. The child also jumped on a paper shredder and tried to break a glass frame, the police report states. The school called police. When an officer tried to calm the child in the principal’s office, she resisted, police say. She “was restrained by placing her hands behind her back and handcuffed,” a police report states.
A juvenile complaint was filed, accusing the girl of simple battery and damage to property. The police department’s policy is to handcuff people when they are taken to the police station, regardless of their age, interim Police Chief Dray Swicord said. “The reason we handcuff detainees is for the safety of themselves as well as the officer,” he said Tuesday.
The girl’s aunt, Candace Ruff, went with the child’s mother to pick her up from the police station. She said Salecia had been in a holding cell and complained about the handcuffs. “She said they were really tight. She said they really hurt her wrists,” Ruff said. “She was so shaken up when we went there to pick her up.”
The police chief said the girl was taken to the police department’s squad room, not a holding cell, and officers there tried to calm her and gave her a Coke.
The girl was suspended and can’t return to school until August, her mother, Constance Ruff, told WMAZ-TV, which first reported the story.
“We would not like to see this happen to another child, because it’s horrifying. It’s devastating,” her aunt told The Associated Press.
Here is the original post from Monday:
A few folks sent me links to this news story out of Milledgeville where an officer handcuffed a kindergartner for what police said were safety concerns about the child’s out-of-control behavior.
The readers who sent me the link to this story disapprove of the strong police response, insisting there are better ways to contain and calm a hysterical 6-year-old than clamping handcuffs on her. Afterward, the child was charged with simple assault and damage to property.
I read the comments posted to the WMAZ-TV site, and local respondents split over whether this was an overreaction. I expect we will hear more about this story and a more detailed police response.
According to the police report, a kindergartner was crying in the principal’s office at Creekside Elementary before police arrived Friday. The report says when the officer tried to calm the child, she resisted and was cuffed.
The little girl is accused of tearing items off the walls and throwing furniture. The report mentions the girl knocked over a shelf that injured the principal. Police say they tried to contact her mother but weren’t able to reach her. They took the child to the police station where she was charged with simple assault and damage to property. Because of her age, she will not have to go to court and will not be sentenced.
Her mother, Constance Ruff. says her daughter was suspended and cannot return to school until August. “She has mood swings some days, which all of us had mood swings some days. I guess that was just one of her bad days that day,” said Constance Ruff.
“A 6-year-old in kindergarten. They don’t have no business calling the police and handcuffing my child,” said Earnest Johnson, Salecia’s father.
“She might have misbehaved, but I don’t think she misbehaved to the point where she should have been handcuffed and taken downtown to the police department,” said her aunt, Candace Ruff. “Call the police? Is that the first step? Or is there any other kind of intervention that can be taken to help that child?”
WMAZ spoke with other police and sheriff’s departments. None of them could remember handcuffing a child that young. They say the use of handcuffs would be at the officer’s discretion and based on whether the child is a threat to herself or others.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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499 comments Add your comment
gamom
April 17th, 2012
9:38 am
Why did they suspend child too…making her fall behind. School to jail pipeline. Mom should contact southern poverty law center
bu2
April 17th, 2012
9:41 am
@Really?
The people saying there are other methods are among the few on here who actually have seen out of control children and know what to do. There’s a world of difference between holding a child still enough to put a needle in them and controlling them so they don’t hurt themselves or others (or you). And it only takes 3 to give a 5 year old a shot if they know what to do.
Hmmmmmmm
April 17th, 2012
9:42 am
@gamom
Are you kidding? First of all she shouldn’t fall behind if she is doing her work at home… Somehow I doubt this will happen, but that’s not the school’s issue. It’s the parents issue. The fact that you suggest that she contact for legal advice is ABSURD!
skipper
April 17th, 2012
9:42 am
@gamom,
I hope you are joking………..
parents fault
April 17th, 2012
9:43 am
Yeah well it’s about time! Kids’ behaviors have gotten out of control in schools. I don’t care if you are 6 or 16. That child should be kicked out and never able to return. Make these parents of behavior problems pay for their child’s education and we’ll see how much better they behave. Good for the police and the school principal!!!!!!
Marko
April 17th, 2012
9:44 am
1) how else do you restrain a 6 year old that is out of control and a danger to themselves, others, and the school’s property? would you rather lock them in a closet? use an animal cage?
2) how do you begin to blame the parents when you have no idea what is going on with this kid? sounds like there could be some mental problems or behavioral issues going on that probably have little to do with parenting.
3) I agree with Archie, put this kid in a special school with other nutty kids so they don’t disrupt other kids that know how to behave.
“The sad part of this story is that the kid learned the distructive behavior at home. Odds are she came from a one-parent home.”
Jack, you have no idea if this kid learned this type of behavior at home and how in the hell would this type of behavior be related to coming from a single parent home? What is the correlation? Your statement is probably the most ignorant thing I will hear all day. Many of my friends grew up in single-parent homes and grew up with no behavioral problems and are now married themselves and have probably far better careers than yourself. You sir, are a fool.
NONPC
April 17th, 2012
9:44 am
There were a LOT of better responses, but all would have put the school in a lawsuit.
If teachers or school officials had so much as touched the child, they would have been liable for lawsuits. They did the only thing our nanny state allows…. called the police.
My Opinion
April 17th, 2012
9:46 am
@I can handle ANY six year old
Why don’t you try a new approach. Just shut your mouth. Thanks.
creative
April 17th, 2012
9:46 am
The mom, the cop, the principal, the teacher, and the child need to be locked up. That would be a good sitcom. Redneck uneducated cop, uneducated overweight black single mom, principal who hates his/her job (also a moron and apparently a weakling), and an out of control child who in 6 years will be on a TV show screaming, “Ya’ll don’t know me!!!” The comedy writes itself.
Hmmmmmmm
April 17th, 2012
9:47 am
and then there was Marko….. a blithering idiot…
KC
April 17th, 2012
9:47 am
I guess y’all didn’t read my comment.
@TKeep123
April 17th, 2012
9:49 am
It’s a LOSE-LOSE for the police… They handcuff a child to protect everyone and people complain about a NAZI state! They DON’T handcuff the wild child and he/she further hurts themselves or others…and some money-hungry moron wants to sue the police for $5M for emotional damages!
wovoka
April 17th, 2012
9:49 am
Was the child autistic? This sounds very much like a heavy autism meltdown. I haven’t read all of the comments, but if so, the behavior was 1)not learned from the mother 2)not a result of a spoiled child 3) nothing to do with single parenting…and the list goes on. Sometimes autism diagnosis does not occur until children are older..sometimes into adulthood. Thinking YOU know the reason..and the cure, when you have had no experience, just read an article, is absurd. Everybody wants to say, “Well, if that had been my kid, I would have…” when you don’t know what you would do because it is not your “perfect” kid. We are constantly being tested by news and experiences like this. Do we respond with compassion, which is difficult, or do we fall in with the judges who have already convicted and sentenced when they have half a story?
@TKeep123
April 17th, 2012
9:50 am
It’s a LOSE-LOSE for the police… They handcuff a child to protect everyone and people complain about a NAZI state! They DON’T handcuff the wild child and he/she further hurts themselves or others…and some money-hungry moron wants to sue the police for $5M for emotional damages!
My Opinion
April 17th, 2012
9:50 am
This kid is crying out for the attention she is obviously not receiving from those that bred and brought her into this world. I don’t call them parents, because they are obviously not parenting anyone.
Deborah
April 17th, 2012
9:50 am
This is what we get because we have taken the authority to discipline away from the school administrators.
Kevin
April 17th, 2012
9:52 am
So using handcuffs were too extreme for some? What if the officer was forcefully holding the child how is kicking, screaming, and wiggling like crazy and they accidently broke the childs arm, wrist or something else. It would be a whole different story. Police did the right thing. I agree with those that a “board of education” should be used once again in schools.
April 17th, 2012
9:52 am
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
Don’t restrain the child and submit others to unnecessary harm and dram.
If you do restrain the child, you’re “going too far”.
What do you people want?
If it gets to the point where the police get called, its gone too far. Handcuff ‘em and be done with it so the rest of us and our normal, well-behaved children can get on with our productive lives.
Tech '10
April 17th, 2012
9:52 am
Appropriate response given that it is easier for the parents to sue the school than take responsibility for their child’s actions and seek an appropriate means to get her under control.
I grew up in a single parent home as well and I turned out fine but then again, my mom whooped me when I messed up.
pete
April 17th, 2012
9:53 am
police and handcuffs ,the georgia way :/
Redneck
April 17th, 2012
9:55 am
I am amazed that we think it is OK to handcuff a five year old girl, drag her to a police station, and charge her with a multitude of felonies. WE have lost our minds. That a cop would do this show how completely mad our society has become and how completely inept that officer is. All children throw temper tantrums from time to time and adults (that work with kids) need to understand how to deal with them. If a school system has no other way to deal with poor behavior of a student than this we should fire the group of them and hire real professional teachers. When did it become the responsibility of the school system to give kids a criminal record before they teach them to write their name?
KC
April 17th, 2012
9:57 am
Thank you Wovoka. And it’s not just my child as the example. I talk with a lot of other Moms about their Autistic children, and especially the meltdowns. But like I said before, you cannot corner an Autistic child, it only escalates the meltdown. Best to leave the child in a safe place, away from harm until it’s over. Have a calm adult sit near them, but do not interact with the child.
Concerned Human
April 17th, 2012
9:57 am
Unfortunately, I have read comments from some posters about punishing and beating the child in question. Did anyone stop to wonder why this child, who hasn’t been a problem all year suddenly acted out of control? What could have overwhelmed this poor child’s mind and emotions so much as to cause such inexplicable behavior? Perhaps this is a sign of something much more serious and before jumping to torturing the child even further an investigation should be conducted to find out what caused this. There is a reason for everything and without knowing the cause you shouldn’t administer judgement or punishment. Even criminals caught in the act are entitled to a fair trial in which the facts are investigated and presented. I seriously hope that those of you who would rush to injur this child are not parents….perhaps not even adults since you don’t seem to have the wisdom that should accompany such an important station in life.
One Good Cop
April 17th, 2012
10:04 am
I agree with the officer’s actions 100%. What do you expect the police to do when they are called about an out-of-control child, just stand there and watch? Have you ever been kicked in the shins by an unruly 6 year old? I’ll tell you, it hurts and you’re gonna hop around on one leg for a minute. Then if he kicks the other shin before you recover, you’re going to the ground. Anybody that’s “out-of control” needs to be restrained to protect yourself, others and the kid himself. An unruly kid can injure himself while he’s wreaking havoc on a place. The handcuffs were absolutely necessary and I support the officer’s actions. That was the most appropriate action to take; other than giving the parents a swift kick in the butt for letting this kid get to this point.
oneofeach4me
April 17th, 2012
10:04 am
I am really over people who think that all children with behavior issues have bad reclusive parents. That is just not the case. Some kids REALLY DO have psychiatric and behavior issues that go way beyond the disciplining ability of any parent. I know. I have been there. I agree with another poster earlier who mentioned the BIP and EIP programs, this child obviously has some issues, especially with anger. Most children that age don’t go through anger outbursts just because they need a whoopin. Get real people.
Nevertheless, with the way some people are and the way lawsuits are filed so quickly, and the fact that the mother could not be reached, the police officer did what he thought would be the least damning. If he were of to restrained the child, that would be on the news too…. This needs to be a wake-up call to the girls parents that she needs help. What she did is NOT normal and it should be addressed immediately.
Zombie Steve
April 17th, 2012
10:06 am
Pepper spray would’ve been a better tactic
Aquagirl
April 17th, 2012
10:11 am
Best to leave the child in a safe place, away from harm until it’s over. Have a calm adult sit near them, but do not interact with the child.
Wasn’t there an outcry about “solitary rooms” a while back? Everyone freaked out over locking kids in a room.
If a child needs this much intervention, they need either serious meds or some type of alternative situation. It would be wonderful if every school could take 30% of their time sitting and dealing with severely disturbed/uncontrollable children. But then we would call them “mental institutions” not schools, and we wouldn’t send our regular kids there and expect them to learn anything.
On the other hand, from some of the comments here it sounds like that is EXACTLY what is happening in our schools.
Call it compassion fatigue, but there’s a small number of children who are just plain screwed by either genetics or parenting. Get them out of the schools and let’s move on.
WhatWasIthinking
April 17th, 2012
10:11 am
It’s sad when a stern voice doesn’t work for a 6 yr old. Handcuffs won’t hurt her. The officer may have just scared her straight. Could be a behavioral disorder. The adults in her life need to be firm and consistant. The girl also need to know that there are consequences for her behavior. Seek therapy for the child and parent(s).
KC
April 17th, 2012
10:12 am
oneofeach4me, the hard part sometimes is parents are often in denial of their child’s disability. Hopefully this will give the parents a wake up call, and my only hope is they get the proper support and guidance. I am surprised that a special needs teacher did NOT step in and take over. They’re the ones that are trained.
Carter
April 17th, 2012
10:12 am
The mother’s excuse was “She has mood swings and I guess today was just a bad day for her”. The child is 6 years old! Those ‘mood swings’ are a horrible excuse for the lack of discipline she receives. This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. A 6 year old doesn’t have ‘mood swings’ unless she has a mental disorder or disability and there is no indication of either of these in this case. They have ‘mood swings’ because the parent’s don’t care about their behavior and they set a bad example for their children. When I was 6 and I had a ‘mood swing’ my dad promptly had me in the kitchen receiving my ‘behavior swings’ from a wooden paddle. That straightened me up. The problem isn’t the teachers or the police, it is the PARENTS! I’m so sick of hearing excuse after excuse for children acting out and misbehaving. It is time that we start disciplining children in schools, a little detention and a slap on the wrist is nothing compared to the paddle that sat on my principle’s desk when I was in elementary school. We feared and respected the administration because they had the permission of our parents to paddle us if we stepped out of line. This needs to be reintroduced into the school systems in this country. We are supposed to be raising a generation that will be taking care of us when we are too old to work. Sadly, I do not see a bright future if we do not take a stand against the lack of discipline in schools and in homes. Parents need to take responsibility for their children and stop using them just for dependents on their taxes. Another good thing that is probably going to go unsaid is that children don’t rip things off the wall and throw furniture on their own accord. Most likely this child saw this either in her home or on television. What kind of signals are parents sending their children? That it’s okay to throw things at people and scream when you are upset? I wonder why the child was angry in the first place, was she told she couldn’t do something that she wanted to do? The police handled this the right way. He/she sent a message to the child as well as other students that this kind of behavior will lead to more and more problems with authority. Kudos to the police department as well as the school for suspending the girl for the remainder of the school year! I fear that we will see more and more of stories like this. There is a sad future ahead of us unless we all stand up and demand that parents take responsibility and we support our educators and authority figures!
Dr. John Trotter
April 17th, 2012
10:15 am
Haven’t I said on a few occasions that even some kindergartners (did I spell this correctly?) are “out of control”? I have known them to attack and kick and even bite their teachers, but as Beverly Fraud and Dr. Craig have so well pointed out on this thread, it is probably the fault of the teachers! Ha!
bu2
April 17th, 2012
10:15 am
The better bible verse would be, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”
Another quote would be: Better to be silent and appear ignorant than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.
Ignorance doesn’t mean you’re stupid. It means you are uniformed. If the 95% posting on here would read Bart, Mom of Autistic, KC and Wovoka, you might learn something and be less uniformed. Biting on doorknobs, running away and all the other behavior is almost certainly not a simple spoiled brat tantrum. Paddling and screaming at the kid would have made the situation worse. You are the uniformed people who give Mom of Autistic the diry looks in the stores.
oneofeach4me
April 17th, 2012
10:18 am
@KC ~ I agree. But sometimes, if the parent doesn’t advocate on behalf of their child then the school may figure if the parent doesn’t care, why should they? Plus, this is a pretty small town so maybe they had only one special needs teacher that was already dealing with those who have been assigned to their care. In other words, the girl’s parents need to realize that this is NOT just a mood swing or a bad day and they need to advocate for their child with the school system to get her on a behavioral/early intervention plan, and be less concerned about how the school had to deal with their child during an outburst.
Now if the girl was already in a special needs class and this same incident occurred with the same response, then we would be going in a totally different direction with this discussion.
akamama
April 17th, 2012
10:19 am
Is this a special needs child? Often times, a child.if this age may not yet be identified as having a disorder: autism, DD, and/or emotional illness. We don’t know the circumstances, pray this child, her family and the school get the support and help they need. Suspending, expelling exasperates problems, clearly some form of intervention is needed, this is a child! Those of you that think this child needs a belt, I reccommend ‘The Explosive Child’ , Dr. Greene. http://www.livesinthebalance.org.
Peace,
geno
April 17th, 2012
10:19 am
Outrageous!!! Are you kidding me? The police, and citizens that agree with this course of action are insane. An unruly six year old should not be subjected to a police action. This Country has lost it’s way, the law can’t solve all your problems. All you get is a police state, and loose your FREEDOM. Next time, call the parents, not your daddy, aka, the government.
akamama
April 17th, 2012
10:21 am
@ wovoka,
Thank you for your words of common sense and reasoning!
bu2
April 17th, 2012
10:22 am
@LeeH1
Social workers and teachers in special needs schools use physical restraint techniques all the time. And a police officer can’t? Most teachers in regular public schools wouldn’t have been properly trained, but you would expect a police officer to be able to handle a 5 year old without cuffs.
KC
April 17th, 2012
10:24 am
I’d like to read further details on this incident, otherwise I further assume the situation. The noise ballasts in the ceiling lights would set my daughter off. IEP’s are great, and the state does the testing, for free.
Holy cow
April 17th, 2012
10:25 am
It is about time that some one stepped forward and protected the innocence.
The teachers who work hard with their students and are constantly interrupted by the less fortunate, those whose parents blame the teacher because of their life mistakes..I didn’t see, but how did that child end up with the principal?? She probably interrupted the class every day. The poor students who wanted to learn. Yes, someone has to be made an example of and it is you. Yep, parents don’t disappear during the day when your child is in school. They are only the educators. Educators can’t replace you or parent for you, be available and parent your child. Don’t let them become a burden on society. Yes, they will pay the piper. Educators are there to e-d-u-c-a-t-e. Your child and the school have the parents for all the other stuff. If you need help visit your local CHURCH. They may be able to help you. Churches most often have parenting classes, etc. what ever your situation is.
cookie19
April 17th, 2012
10:25 am
I’m only 25 years of age. Were the “Years of Discipline” only that long ago? I too remember attending elementary schools here in the south with my parents signing permissison slips for the principals to use a paddle if it were necessary. It never was,but the point of this story is the school used to be able to enforce acceptable behavior as it saw fit. My husband and I agree to “take it old school ” with a switch to our daughter if need arises. What has happened, is fear of CPS instead fear of embarrassment. I wish my daughter or niece would act that in a public place. Three generations would be highly upset. I’m still waiting on “Discipline for Dummies” to be on sale at Barnes and Nobles/ Booksamillion.
jarvis
April 17th, 2012
10:26 am
Anyone calling this child a spoiled brat has certainly not read the full article linked to this blog. The child is clearly not a spoiled rich princess. Read the article. I would be willing to bet on the economic level of the family.
As for if this could have been handled differently, sure it could have. But why? This kid is now scarred? News flash…this kid is already f’ed up.
cookie19
April 17th, 2012
10:30 am
Discipline does not discriminate. You can teach any child how to behave properly in school. How was Helen Keller able to succeed in life? With D-I-S-C-I-P-L-I-N-E!!!!
Infinite
April 17th, 2012
10:30 am
So why are many attacking the 6 year old? I think the home should be investigated. It’s possible that the child is being subjected to severely inappropriate circumstances at home. All of that anger and fear is coming from somewhere, and the child is articulating that the only way she’s been taught. That child needs help.
oneofeach4me
April 17th, 2012
10:30 am
@KC ~ exactly. The parents just have to get involved and realize that this is not “just a bad day”, the EIP programs work well. Their daughter needs help.
classy1too
April 17th, 2012
10:36 am
Out of control is out of control…age should not be a factor. I have seen younger children than that need to be restrained for their own safety and that of others. We only know part of the story and I would err on the cuffs side in this one.
Have you seen the strength and devastation a small angry child can display? This may be a case of schizophrenia or another mental disorder…they can be very dangerous. Especially children because we underestimate the damage they can do.
oneofeach4me
April 17th, 2012
10:36 am
@cookie ~ so lets say you have a 6 year old boy, who is disruptive in class, kind of a class clown and is defiant. As a parent you explain to him that he must follow rules and respect his teachers. The behavior continues on and off, so… you issue corporal punishment. This 6 year old boy then becomes enraged, screaming mad every time you spank. This child never exuberates anger until physical punishment is issued. Do you think this is helping or hurting the situation and the child in general? Do you think all it takes is some d-i-s-c-i-p-l-i-n-e?
Again, some kids have issues that are beyond the reach of even some of the best parents. That is what professionals (psychiatrist, counselors, therapists) are for.
Mom
April 17th, 2012
10:40 am
There are obviously other issues with this child not covered in this story. Looks to me like a behavior disorder not just an angry child. When police are called they have to respond as officers of the law not couselors or babysitters.
Tonya C.
April 17th, 2012
10:40 am
Please remember that if the parent refuses to acknowledge the problem, there is nothing that the school can do. Without permission, the child cannot be tested or evaluated. As it seems from the story, the mother doesn’t seem to have a great deal of concern about her daughter’s behavior. Chances are this kid will end up in the local mental hospital or jail in a few years if the source of her behavior is not addressed.
I have a son with Aspergers. He went through a period like this, and I most called the cops on him at school during one of his meltdowns. His disability gives him no right to harm others or destroy their property. He improved after being placed on the right medicines, but I had to acknowledge the issue in order for it to be addressed.
My Two Cents
April 17th, 2012
10:40 am
It is obvious this child needs discipline. I am sure this case will escalate as it becomes more ciculated. I would bet by the time her suspension is up there will be another solution available for this child so she will not be attending there. I am sure her beahavior mirrors many students resulting in teachers and principles having to resort to extreme measures. What about the other students in this class? They deserve a peaceful and calm learning environment without major disruptions. This parent needs to be attending parenting classes and I hope that is part of her fine.
John Singer
April 17th, 2012
10:42 am
We got this beat in Coweta County. We have kids who call the cops on their teachers after they throw tirades and barricade themselves in rooms. We have kids whose only form of communication is to growl at adults and then disrupt the classroom. Trying to get these kids into a sheltered environment where they can function take an act of Congress thanks to NCLB. Educators are fighting a losing battle. Why should they subject themselves and other students to sociopaths?