Legal news for New York City personal injury attorneys – A twelve-year-old girl was handcuffed and detained by police for doodling on a school desk.
Queens, NY (NewYorkInjuryNews.com) – A 12-year-old girl was handcuffed and escorted out her of her Junior High School and detained for several hours for doodling on her desk, announced February 5, 2010, according the New York Daily News.
The girl who attends Junior High School 190 in Queens, was doodling a few words on her desk on Monday with a lime-green erasable magic marker while her Spanish teacher was busy passing out homework assignments to the rest of the class. Soon after committing this harmless offense, 12-year-old Alexa Gonzalez was put into handcuffs, regularly used for criminals, and removed from her classroom and transported to police quarters where she was detained for hours.
Alexa was a student with a perfect attendance record, and has not been back to school since the incident. She commented that she thought she would just have detention or have to clean off the desk. Her mother, 49-year-old Moraima Tamacho, was distressed by the police action and said that this situation “was a nightmare”.
City Authorities have since admitted that the action taken by police was unnecessary. Alexa is one of several students in New York City who have received the punishment by police for minor school offenses. Last month, the New York Civil Liberties Union filed a class action lawsuit for police using “excessive force” in the city middle schools and high schools. Alexa still needs to complete eight hours of community service, a book report and an essay during her suspension from school.
Bridget Hom
www.NewYorkInjuryNews.com