7-Year-Old Handcuffed at School for Crying: A Disturbing Reality

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At what point will our children, especially those in marginalized communities, be treated with the compassion they deserve?

In a shocking incident from 2014, a young boy named Jamal Reed, just seven years old and a second grader in Kansas City, was subjected to a traumatic experience at school. Jamal, who has a hearing impairment, was constantly bullied by a classmate. When the teasing escalated and he became overwhelmed, he began to cry and scream in class.

In response, the teacher called in the school resource officer, Officer Mark Daniels, who proceeded to remove Jamal from the classroom. When Jamal couldn’t stop crying and struggled to comply with Officer Daniels’ demands to be silent, the officer made the alarming decision to place Jamal in handcuffs. This tiny child, who stood under four feet tall and weighed only 50 pounds, spent 15 minutes handcuffed in the principal’s office awaiting his parent’s arrival.

The ACLU has since taken legal action against the school district, arguing that this use of force was not only excessive but also a violation of Jamal’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights. “This child committed no crime, posed no threat, and yet was treated like a criminal,” stated ACLU representative Sarah Thompson. “Handcuffing children is not only cowardly but also unconstitutional.”

In fact, the ACLU highlighted that the school’s actions contravened state policy, which clearly states that restraints should only be used in extreme circumstances. After the incident, Jamal’s mother, Lisa Reed, felt compelled to withdraw her son from school, opting to homeschool him for the next two years. Can you blame her? How can a parent feel secure sending their child back to a place where they are seen as a threat simply for being upset? He was crying due to the bullying, after all.

According to reports, a spokesperson for the school district defended the use of handcuffs, claiming it was protocol. This raises eyebrows, especially considering studies show that black children are often perceived as older and less innocent than their white counterparts. This perception fosters an environment where children like Jamal are unjustly treated.

In a 2012 analysis by the Department of Education, it was found that black students faced disciplinary actions at disproportionate rates compared to their white peers. Despite making up only 18% of students in the surveyed schools, black students represented 35% of those suspended once and 39% of all expulsions.

If you think this data is insignificant, consider this: studies repeatedly show that racial bias affects how children are viewed and treated. As Jesse Williams eloquently pointed out, the existence of someone else’s pain doesn’t depend on your belief in it, and recognizing these issues is the first step toward real progress. If lawsuits are necessary to prompt school districts to confront their biases, so be it.

Jamal’s mother has expressed her desire for this kind of treatment to end. “No schools should handcuff little kids. It has to stop,” she remarked. “Someone needs to stand up and speak out. It’s embarrassing, but if sharing our story helps others realize this isn’t okay, then it’s worth it.”

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In summary, Jamal’s experience highlights the urgent need for systemic change in how schools address behavioral issues, particularly among marginalized communities. Children should be treated with care and understanding, not handcuffs.