10-year-old Arrested

by Kristina Chew · 2009-02-14 01:16:00 UTC
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A month ago an 8-year-old Idaho girl was handcuffed because she wanted to attend a Christmas party wearing a cow sweatshirt-----on Thursday, a 10-year-old boy was arrested after allegedly hitting and kicking a teacher at his elementary school on Florida. NBC2 News reports that Ian Garvin is on the autism spectrum:

According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office incident report, the confrontation escalated over a pair of scissors.

Teacher Terri Plazewski told deputies she saw 10-year-old Ian cutting his shirt.

She told deputies another teacher told Ian to stop, but he threw the scissors, ran out of the room and locked himself in the principal's office.

School employees and the principal went into the office and Ian hit Plazewski in the upper chest and kicked her in the groin, according to reports.

The deputy said he witnessed Ian throw himself onto the floor and bang his head on the ground, "while in a crying and frantic tantrum."

Ian was arrested and taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center.

[Ian's mother,Heather] Hawk says Ian has tantrums all the time, but this time he got arrested.

"I couldn't believe a child with autism who can't understand what's going on is being arrested," said Hawk.

Ian has been suspended for four days and will go to court where he will "face one count of battery on a public or private education employee."

Certainly, everyone is concerned for everyone's safety, for Ian and for the teachers and staff at his school. Given his diagnosis and (according to Hawk) a history of tantrums, it seems that some kind of behavior plan could or should have been in place, as well as teaching protocols so Ian could learn other ways to communicate frustration or anxiety or whatever leads to him tantrumming. But why is the law being called in, and why was a child---a disabled child---arrested?

Photo by Superbomba.

Kristina Chew
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