Pasadena school security officer accused of duct-taping girl’s mouth shut for ‘talking too much’
By Marc Cota-Robles
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PASADENA, California (KABC) — A substitute security officer in Pasadena has been accused of duct-taping an 11-year-old girl’s mouth shut at school because she “was talking too much.”
The family of Noemi Hurtado, a sixth grader at Blair Middle School, spoke out about the claims during a press conference Friday.
They said last Wednesday, the security guard forced Noemi to duct-tape her own mouth because the girl was “talking too much on the playground.”
“That’s what kids do,” said Najee Ali with Project Islamic Hope, who’s helping the family. “She had every right to play and talk, but instead, she was the target of an overzealous security guard who duct-taped her, took her to the office and put tape over her mouth.”
The family said the girl was then paraded from the school office across campus to her next class with the tape still covering her mouth.
“She was telling me that she still feels the stickiness of the duct tape, which is hard to take off,” said Noemi’s father Ricardo Hurtado. “So my little girl, my 11-year-old little girl, shouldn’t be going through this.”
The city of Pasadena confirmed its police department took a report that day and said detectives are investigating the allegations.
“We do take these matters very seriously and will follow-up with all parties involved,” said city spokesperson Lisa Derderian.
The Pasadena Unified School District released a statement, saying the substitute security officer is no longer employed by the district.
“While we cannot comment on pending litigation, we take concerns like this very seriously and are cooperating fully with the Pasadena Police Department,” read the statement. “We are committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for our students.”
The incident remains under investigation.
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