Skip to content Skip to Content

Schools investigate child restraint incident inside classroom

By Brett Rains

Click here for updates on this story

    SEBASTIAN COUNTY, Arkansas (KHBS/KHOG) — The Fort Smith Public School District is investigating methods used to restrain a developmentally delayed student inside a special education classroom at Euper Lane Elementary School.

Pictures of the incident were posted online, and led to an increased police presence at the school on Tuesday, due to comments and posts that were made on social media, according to a statement sent to 40/29 News by Fort Smith Public Schools.

“He’s non-verbal; he uses a generated speech device that has pictures that kind of talk for him. That’s how he communicates with people,” said Jessica Chapman.

Chapman told 40/29 news that her 9-year-old son loves taking pictures, but she was concerned when he showed her some of the pictures he took inside his classroom.

One picture shows 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.

“That picture didn’t sit right with me. I didn’t like the way the other children in the classroom just appeared to be like, this was a regular occasion,” Chapman said.

While examining the picture and talking to 40/29 News, Chapman said, “This is another adult over here sitting with her legs crossed in a chair. If this child did present an immediate danger, why were these children not cleared out, why is this teacher just sitting here so casually, what did this child do to deserve this as a hold.”

In an email obtained by 40/29 News, the school principal told Chapman that they have district procedures for restraining a student when the student is a safety risk to themselves or others, and that staff receive annual training.

“Honestly, the only response that I think would have made me feel better would have been if the response would have been – those do look questionable, let me get some context,” Chapman said. “If my kid poses an immediate danger, if he’s hurting somebody else, absolutely step in and place a hold on him. But you can also be trained in a proper way to do it, and sitting on a child with their face in the floor is not it.”

The Fort Smith School District Police Department and other agencies are investigating the incident, according to the statement sent to 40/29 News.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

Article Topic Follows: CNN - Regional

Jump to comments ↓

Author Profile Photo

CNN Newsource

BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION

KVIA ABC 7 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation.

Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here

If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here.