ACLU blasts Baltimore police for handcuffing schoolchildren

ACLU blasts Baltimore police for handcuffing schoolchildren


A schoolyard fight resulted in police arresting and cuffing 4 elementary school kids.
(3 girls and 1 boy)

The arrests came 9 days after the fact.
(that means a long investigation must have happened ?)

And the ACLU of Maryland is involved and says the actions violated State regulations.

The police said there were other violence issues involving the children.
The article suggests some violence occurred away from school.


By Eric W. Dolan
Sunday, April 1, 2012 11:22 EDT
The Raw Story

The ACLU of Maryland on Friday said it was “appalling” that Baltimore police officers arrested and handcuffed three 9-year-old girls and an 8-year-old boy at an elementary school.

The officers arrested the children Thursday afternoon inside Morrell Park Elementary School on aggravated-assault charges. The charges were based on a schoolyard fight that occurred nine days earlier.

“The actions of Baltimore City police in arresting and handcuffing eight and nine year old children at school are appalling, and also in plain violation of state regulations regarding school arrests,” Sonia Kumar, an attorney with the ACLU. “Even if it was appropriate to treat the fight between children as a criminal justice matter, there is no excuse for treating eight and nine year olds the same way we treat adult criminal suspects.”

However, the Baltimore Police Department has defended the arrests, claiming the children were involved in more than just a schoolyard scuffle. One of the children allegedly held another child’s head underwater, while another forced a boy’s head onto a railroad track and threatened to kill him.

3rd and 4th Graders ?

What is causing these things to happen ?

Originally posted by xuenchen
What is causing these things to happen ?

No clue. Appalling from all sides.

I have an eight year old and he's never even seen a real fight.

You'd be very surprised at what occurs in public schools. I've seen 6-7 year old students in a violent fit throw desks across a room. I've seen kids stab each other with pencils- that was so severe it required stitches. I've seen a 10 year old tackle a teacher to the ground.

Second grade class. Intercepted a note from students. Note was from a girl offering "services" to several boys. Complete with illustrations. I've seen 8 and 9 year old girls dressing like prostitutes. I've seen kindergarten students run with a local gang.

I'm in rural America. Not an inner city.

I think what's happening is a combination of factors, but mostly lack of parental guidance. The kids watch whatever they want on tv, then bring that behavior to school.

It's very concerning, bc our future rests in the hands of today's children.

reply to post by xuenchen

3rd and 4th Graders ?

What is causing these things to happen ?

We are causing these things to happen. Whether it be willful compliance, tacit agreement, or apathy, we have all allowed this police state to emerge.

In terms of children behaving this way in public schools, again it is all of our faults for acquiescing to mandatory education laws across the several states. The state has no lawful authority to dictate to parents how and when they educate their children, yet the vast, vast, vast, majority of us have surrendered our lawful authority to determine what is best for our children to mindless and uncaring states whose only purpose is to aggregate power.

Children who have no interest in education should not be forced to go to public schools. The result of forcing them to do so is that education centers become day care centers where teachers are baby-sitters instead of educators. Tragically, they are state sanctioned baby sitters who are just as capable of understanding the profound acquiescence to tyranny we are all guilty of as any member in this site. Too many of these state sanctioned baby sitters disguised as educators have decided they have the lawful authority to use the force of the state to further this tragedy.

I cannot say this often enough; until we begin engaging in non-acquiescence to the tyranny around us it will only grow stronger. Either we as individuals grow stronger or the collective does. I remain hopeful, in this battle for freedom, that the individuals will reject the collectivist propaganda and begin the slow and painful process of correcting the out of control governments we are facing.

It's such a cliche thing to say now, but I don't feel like I'm living in America anymore. I know it is far worse in other places but "it could be worse" should never be an excuse to let our nation slip.