WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — The mother of a Springdale Elementary student is outraged about the response by school and law enforcement leaders to what she calls her 10-year-old daughter having a mental breakdown.
"What would any mother do in a situation like this," asked the child's mother. "I'm going to protect my daughter by any means necessary. The school district has failed my daughter enough, and it stops here."
The incident happened on May 12th at Springdale Elementary School in Lexington School District Two.
According to the incident report from the Springdale Police Department, the school's resource officer responded to a radio request for the administration to respond asap to the bus area. According to the report, a female student was attacking other students and staff members and punching the windows on the bus. When the SRO arrived, he reportedly found a student screaming and crying. A couple of the children received care in the nurse's offices, scratches on their face and injuries to their heads.
Police say the officer was able to get the student responsible off the bus. They took her to the office, but say the student then tried to leave the school.
The report says in the school's front entrance, the child hit multiple windows with her fist and attacked at least one adult. Police say that's when the officer decided to place handcuffs on the student in the front position for her safety and others.
"Under no circumstances is this acceptable that a disabled and mentally ill child is placed in handcuffs because they are having a meltdown," said the child's mother.
In a statement, Springdale Police said:
"We do not make it a common practice to handcuff an elementary-age student, but due to the extenuating circumstance, it was necessary to keep the student, staff, and other students safe."
"There was also a trained aid on the bus that could have had the situation under control, so it wouldn't have to go as far as it did," said the child's mother.
Several activist organizations joined the mother in a press conference Friday.
"There needs to be certain criteria to take place before calling law enforcement," said President of Black Lives Matter SC Shenne Ryan. "They shouldn't respond just based on someone's emotions to call officers. That's one major policy change, along with the crisis prevention see happen after this situation."
Lexington Two School District says they are cooperating with law enforcement and conducting their own investigation into the incident.