Officer handcuffs SC elementary school girl. Police say she attacked students, staff

Noah Feit, David Travis Bland
·4 min read

A 9-year-old special needs student was recently handcuffed by police officers after the Black girl reportedly had a temper tantrum at a Lexington County elementary school, according to a community group.

One Common Cause plans to hold a rally on Friday to discuss the incident at Springdale Elementary School in addition to other similar situations.

The organization said what happened at the Lexington 2 school is the most recent example of students of color being targeted and punished more frequently than their peers by school resource officers.

In a statement, Springdale Police Chief Andrew Richbourg said: “We do not make it a common practice to handcuff an elementary-age student, but due to the extenuating circumstance, it was necessary to keep the student, staff and the other students safe.”

The statement said the girl attacked other students on a bus as well as a teacher and a staff member.

During the incident, Springdale Elementary Principal Hope Vrana called the Springdale Police Department because school officials said the 9-year-old student had a “temper tantrum,” One Common Cause said Thursday in a news release.

Four Springdale police officers, including the chief, responded to the incident and the student was placed in handcuffs, according to the release.

“Handcuffing children is never OK,” One Common Cause CEO Jerome Bowers said in the release. “Using the police to discipline students especially children with special needs is inappropriate and unacceptable.”

Richbourg’s statement describes the incident with the child as more than a tantrum.

When a school resource officer arrived after being called to a bus at the school, the officer found students crying and injured. The child had attacked others on a bus, Richbourg said. The bus had to return to the school to try to get the child off.

The officer found the child approaching another student. The officer was able to get students out of a rear exit of the bus as school staff calmed the child. The child refused to get off the bus, hit windows and bit a teacher, according to Richbourg. At least two students had scratches on their faces and other injuries on their heads.

Staff was able to calm the child and guide her into the school to wait for a parent. Inside, the child lashed out again, striking windows and pulling down photos. The student grabbed a staff member by the hair and clinched so tight the staffer couldn’t get the child off, Richbourg said.

“The (officer) then decided to place the student in handcuffs for her safety and the safety of nearby staff members,” Richbourg said.

The officer cuffed the child’s hands in front of her and when she calmed down, the officer took the cuffs off.

Lexington District 2 officials issued a statement Thursday afternoon saying an incident occurred on May 12 while school was being dismissed at Springdale Elementary School. The school resource officer was present, and local police were called for assistance “to ensure that both this student, as well as other students, remained safe.”

“While Lexington Two is unable to comment on the specifics of the incident that led to the involvement of local law enforcement, the District is committed to ensuring the personal safety of all students. To that end, we are cooperating with local law enforcement officials and conducting our own investigation into the incident.

“Every child, regardless of race, gender, or other status, is deserving of a safe and secure learning environment. Any Lexington Two families or students with questions about student safety are encouraged to talk with their local school administrators.”

Black Lives Matter South Carolina, EmpowerSC, The Racial Justice Network, and the South Carolina Black Activist Coalition will join One Common Cause at the rally planned for Lexington 2’s headquarters in West Columbia, according to the news release.

The rally will address matters of race, as well as how schools and communities could be contributing to a hostile learning environment for Black children and a culture that criminalizes them, One Common Cause spokeswoman Sonya Davis-Lewis said.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

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