Family: 9-year-old boy 'traumatized' after being handcuffed by police in Walpole school
WALPOLE — The mother of a 9-year-old boy is outraged after she said he was handcuffed in his classroom at a Walpole public school in January.
The third-grader is a special needs student who, according to his family's lawyer, suffered a mental health crisis while in the classroom. Instead of referring to the plan to help regulate his behavior, the lawyer said the school resource officer called the Walpole Police.
When police arrived, they allegedly cuffed the boy and then put him in an ambulance. He was taken to an adult psychiatric hospital for evaluation where doctors determined he was not a danger.
The boy was then released to his mother hours after the incident. The family's attorney said the incident has left the little boy traumatized and afraid of school.
"He is understandably traumatized by this incident and directly after this incident occurred, he no longer felt safe at school, he made attempts to leave school on two occasions and has been greatly affected by this," said Erika Richmond, the mother's lawyer.
In a statement released by Walpole Chief of Police, Richard Keller, on May 5, he confirmed that the department did response to an elementary school in Walpole to "assist staff with a student" but didn't disclose anything else in order to protect the child's privacy.
The family said they also believe there's racism involved because the boy is Black and the said school staff have shown bias against him before. They're asking for an apology and a chance to discuss solutions to make sure no child with mental health issues goes through a similar situation.
Walpole Superintendent Dr. Bridget Gough said, in a statement, "Walpole Schools are committed to the safety and education of all of our students, regardless of race or other protected characteristics."
