School being Sued for Using Handcuffs on Black Children say they will Continue
The Kent School Board last night reaffirmed the use of handcuffs by school security guards to restrain unruly students, disregarding the recommendation of an independent review panel. "Our bottom line is to provide a safe, secure learning environment and working environment for all of our students and all of our staff," board member Sandy Collins said before the unanimous vote in favor of the policy. Superintendent Barbara Grohe appointed the review panel April 14 in response to allegations that guards have used excessive force in disciplining black students, who make up about 10 percent of the district's total enrollment of 26,000. At the time the panel was formed, parents of 11 black children had filed claims against the school district seeking a total of $36.4 million in damages; since then, the parents of three more black students have added $10 million in claims. Security guards have pulled hair, twisted arms and handcuffed students as young as 11, the parents' claims say. The disciplinary measures represent "institutional racism at its finest," said Carl Mack, president of the Seattle chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. [
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