Wake County Schools Need Justice

Wake County Schools Need Justice

By Brittany Woods

One may think twice about cutting in line while in attendance at a Wake county school.

A seventy-four page complaint was filed to the U.S Department of Justice on behalf of Legal Aid of North Carolina Advocates for Children’s Services with eight student testimonials about unlawful and unjust treatment of students in Wake County schools.

One student testimonial contained statements about being physically harmed by his school police officer. The officer allegedly  “pushed him over a four-foot dividing wall in the cafeteria and handcuffed him.” because the student skipped a few places in the lunch line.

In another student testimonial, the student was waiting in line for his class schedule when a  school resource officer approached him. The SRO asked the student if he attended the high school, the student replied with a yes, and then had another student confirm his answer. The SRO then asked the student what his name was, however the student has SED (serious emotional disability) and avoided the question as a coping mechanism for stressful situations. Having no answer, the SRO pulled the students arm behind his back while yet another SRO repeated the action with the students other arm. The SRO’s slammed the student against a window and handcuffed him. The student was then taken to the principal’s office to be illegally searched without having been read his Miranda rights.

School Resource officers have the authority to charge, arrest, and file criminal complaints against students.This authority is resulting in students sixteen to seventeen years old being charged as adults for misconduct level related behaviors.The complaints filed are usually dismissed, but having the arrest on their records is lifelong.

 

Link to the official complaint filed:

http://www.legalaidnc.org/public/learn/media_releases/2014/complaint-unregulated-policing-in-wake-county-public-schools.pdf

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