Clearwater, FL — If you are a parent of a child within the Florida school system, you would do well to scroll through our archives to see the potential danger your children face every day. The police state in Florida has become notorious over the years for beating children, cowering as children are killed, and using heavy handed tactics on little girls as young as 6-years-old. Just last month, TFTP reported on the video of a 6-year-old Florida girl being dragged from school in zip ties and loaded into a police cruiser. Now, it has happened again — this time, with a 7-year-old boy.

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Tyeisha Harmon is demanding answers this week after her 7-year-old special needs child was handcuffed, arrested, kidnapped and thrown in a mental health facility without her consent. He had reportedly thrown a temper tantrum in class at Belcher Elementary. Harmon says her little boy has been diagnosed with ADHD and a mental health disorder.

As ABC Action News reports:

She showed ABC Action News paperwork filed with the district. His Individual Education Program notes he needs a “structured environment with clear routines and expectations.” Harmon says the school moved her son into a new classroom. She says he’s been in transition into the new classroom and teachers let him spend some time in the old classroom. But Wednesday was his first full day in the new classroom. The change, she claims, caused him to have anxiety and act out.

The school called Harmon but by the time she arrived she says learned her son was Baker Acted. The Baker Act is a Florida law that allows designated professionals including law enforcement, judges, doctors or mental health professional to initiate an involuntary mental health examination on a person or child who exemplifies a mental illness by displaying behavior that poses a threat to themselves or others. When it comes to children, most Baker Acts are initiated at school.

In Florida, the Baker Act is supposed to confine truly mentally ill people who are dangerous — a 7-year-old boy throwing a temper tantrum is hardly a danger to anyone. School officials, however, apparently thought otherwise.

Harmon said her son was held for hours in a mental health facility as he was examined by doctors. When he finally got home, he showed her the marks on his wrists from the handcuffs. It was utterly heart wrenching.

“He’s like ‘mommy, I was handcuffed and look what they did to my wrists” she recounted.

Harmon explained to ABC Action News that it should have never gotten to the point of handcuffs and kidnapping.

“To handcuff him and put him in the backseat — not only did you handcuff him but you did it so tightly that it left marks on his hands and he’s seven. What’s he going to do? He’s seven and in the backseat,” said Harmon, who is calling for school cops to be better trained. “It’s very serious because nobody’s kids should have to go through that.”

Exactly what her son did to land himself in handcuffs and in the back of a police cruiser remains unclear. When asked, school officials released a vague statement claiming that he was a danger to himself and others. He is 7.

To keep you informed of important matters, on Wednesday afternoon a student had to be restrained for their own safety and the safety of others. The student was engaging in dangerous activity that could have hurt the student or others. Please know that restraint of students is only used as a last resort when other interventions have not resolved the issue. The safety, health and well-being of our students and staff is our highest priority.

Source: Free Thoughts Project