August 04, 2015
A Kentucky school resource officer is facing a lawsuit after allegedly handcuffing elementary school students as a form of discipline, CNN reports.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing Kenton County sheriff's Deputy Kevin Sumner, who is accused of handcuffing an 8-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl, both of whom have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sumner works as a school resource officer at Latonia Elementary School in Covington.
In recently released cellphone footage, Sumner can be seen talking to a boy handcuffed in a chair. The boy is handcuffed around his biceps, rather than around the wrists.
"You don't get to swing at me like that," the deputy says. "You can do what we've asked you to, or you can suffer the consequences."
The ACLU said the handcuffs were removed after about 15 minutes.
A girl was also reportedly handcuffed behind her back by her biceps on two occasions.
"Both children were being punished for behavior related to their disabilities," the ACLU said in a statement.
The ACLU is suing on behalf of the two children, claiming Sumner violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Watch the video, which has quickly gone viral, below.
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