DISTURBING

Lawsuit Alleges Cops Put 10-Year-Old Black Boy With Disabilities in Chokehold

The ACLU is suing a Louisiana school board and sheriff’s office over the horrific incident.

The ACLU of Louisiana is suing a local school board and sheriff’s office over the mistreatment of a 10-year-old Black student with disabilities, as the organization claims that a local cop handcuffed the child and put him in a chokehold. On May 13, 2021, the student—who, according to the lawsuit, suffers from ADHD and a mood disorder—was eating lunch in an administrator’s office after being bullied in his previous class. Distressed by the bullying, the student began to throw objects and hit the principal before walking out of the room, the suit says. Rather than trying to de-escalate the situation or calm the fifth grader down, school officials called 911, leading to the purported use of a chokehold and handcuffs, according to the lawyers. The suit claims that the actions of the school and sheriff’s office violated the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.