Fed investigators largely clear school district in investigation over handcuffed autistic student

Federal investigators largely cleared the Natrona County School District of wrongdoing in how school officials treated an autistic student who was restrained and handcuffed late last year.

The child’s mother filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights that continued six allegations of mishandling the student and his special needs. The allegations spanned several months and touched on a wide range of concerns, but the complaint was filed after Pineview Elementary School officials called the police on the 9-year-old during a behavioral incident. An officer who responded to the scene bear-hugged the student, took him to the ground and handcuffed him.

The mother alleged that the district and Pineview had failed to respond to other students harassing the child, that the child was disciplined differently than his peers, that his special education plan was not fully implemented, that officials didn’t properly and quickly evaluate the child for autism, that the student wasn’t given a one-on-one aide and that the student was repeatedly restrained.

In five of the six allegations, investigators found that there was insufficient evidence to support the charges. After reviewing records and conducting interviews, investigators said the student was never restrained and never requested an individual aide, that harassment was met with a quick response by officials, that discipline the student received was less than his peers after an altercation between the classmates, and that the district did “consider the diagnosis (of autism) and adjusted the student’s plan” as a result.

Read more: https://trib.com/news/local/education/federal-investigators-largely-clear-school-district-in-investigation-over-handcuffed-autistic-student/article_98a7cfeb-e596-5d5a-b255-9efe03896105.html
(Casper Star Tribune)