In the lawsuit, joined by the Children’s Law Center, the ACLU accuses the sheriff’s department and Sumner of violating both federal and state laws that prohibit the forceful restraint of children unless the pupil is presenting an imminent and real threat to their own or someone else’s safety. The suit alleges that by being shackled for so long the child suffered pain and trauma that exacerbated his diagnosed conditions of ADHD and post-traumatic stress disorder.
In the video, shot last November by a staff member of the public school in which the third grader was studying, Sumner can be seen applying the handcuffs around SR’s biceps as the boy’s wrists are too small to restrain. “You can do what we have asked you to do, or you can suffer the consequences,” the police officer tells the child.
– From the Guardian article: Kentucky Sheriff ‘Steadfastly’ Defends Officer who Handcuffed 8-Year-Old
Just in case you’re keeping score at home:
Number of U.S. bank executives in handcuffs: 0
Number of helpless children with mental disabilities in handcuffs: 1
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