One would think that educators running a special needs classroom would be seasoned at dealing with different behavioral issues. Recently, staff at Mercer County Intermediate School in Harrodsburg, Kentucky proved otherwise, placing 9 year
old Christopher Baker inside a duffel bag after he misbehaved in class. Baker, a 4th grader with autism, ha apparently been placed in the bag on multiple occasions. It’s hard to imagine what the other side of this story would be; how someone might attempt to justify this horrific action. Interim school superintendent Dennis Davis would not address the incidents, saying that confidentiality laws prohibit from doing so. It seems that Kentucky law does not prohibit this sort of restraint. Let’s hope that this incident leads to rectifying this bizarre situation where a student can legally be placed in a duffel bag, but the school system cannot legally discuss their actions in doing so.
Related articles
- Mother: Teachers put autistic son in bag (cnn.com)
- If you have an autistic child, Kentucky is not the spot to live. (str8media.wordpress.com)
- Christopher Baker: Autistic Boy, 9, Put in Duffel Bag at School as Punishment for ‘Therapy’ (ibtimes.com)
