State police assisting with school child restraint investigation
By Brett Rains
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SEBASTIAN COUNTY, Arkansas (KHBS/KHOG) — Emily Badgett told 40/29 News that she did not know her son was restrained inside his special education classroom until she saw his picture posted online.
“Finding out that something happened to your child, that is a major concern, and finding out on social media, because another parent decided to reach out, because she knew it wasn’t right in the school or the people who are taking care of your child not reaching out, is not okay,” Badgett said. “It’s absolutely killing me because he doesn’t understand the context that something bad happened to him. He doesn’t understand what is good and what is bad, and what should not happen. And because I’m his parent and I see that something happened that should not have, I’m feeling I’m absolutely fuming.”
Badgett’s 7-year-old son is taught in a special education classroom at Euper Lane Elementary School in Fort Smith.
Pictures taken by another student in the classroom, sent to 40/29 News by the student’s parent, show what appears to be a school staff member on top of a boy. Another picture shows a student being pushed up against a wall by a school employee.
“My child is facedown in the prone position,” Badgett said. “I saw other children just kind of chilling in the background. Another teacher had their legs crossed. So you would think that if it were a crisis situation, if he was an imminent threat to another child or other teachers, that he would have been removed from the classroom.”
According to policies posted on the Fort Smith Public School District website, physical restraint should only be used by trained personnel and should only be what’s necessary to protect a student or others from imminent danger or serious harm. At no time should school personnel restrain a student face down in the prone position.
When physical restraint is used on a student, district policy says that the principal is supposed to notify parents as soon a possible. If parents cannot be reached by phone or email within 24 hours, a letter should be mailed to parents within 48 hours.
Badgett is not certain exactly when her son was restrained. She told 40/29 News that she was first contacted by the school principal on Saturday afternoon.
“When people who are in charge of speaking for someone who cannot speak for themselves, don’t come forward and give you all of the information or what you need to know, that’s when bad things happen,” Badgett said. “If it can happen to my kid, it can happen to any other special needs child or child that can’t talk for themself.”
A school district spokesperson told 40/29 News that, per standard policy, school personnel involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation. Arkansas State Police have been asked to assist Fort Smith Public Schools police with the investigation.
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