Bronx mother demands answers after daughter handcuffed in school
The NYPD says that the 12-year-old was restrained after an altercation with another student and that Velcro restraints failed before metal cuffs were used.
A Bronx mother is seeking justice after she says her 12-year-old daughter, Faith, was handcuffed at I.S. 584 on November 19.
Christine Henson says she arrived at the school to find her sixth grader restrained to a chair with metal cuffs.
Henson says school safety agents did not immediately release her daughter, and NYPD officers had to unlock the handcuffs with their key.
She says she never received any explanation as to why the 12-year-old was handcuffed to a chair.
The NYPD says that the 12-year-old was restrained after an altercation with another student and that Velcro restraints failed before metal cuffs were used. They say she was handcuffed for at least 15 minutes before her mother was contacted.
The family attorney, Sanford Rubenstein, told News 12 over the phone that "the NYPD was not there when the incident happened. They think the most credible description of events is what Faith's mother says happened."
In a statement, the New York City Department of Education said, "It is critical that every student and family is safe and respected in school. School and district leadership is reaching out to this family to ensure they have the support they need, and mental health and emotional support are available at every school. We are taking steps to ensure that these resources are known to this student.
Henson called the event traumatic for her sixth grader.
"She didn't deserve that," she said.
The family is now pursuing legal action.
