Milwaukee School Panel Approves Handcuff Use

Sarah Carr:

After hours of emotional debate, a Milwaukee School Board panel approved a measure Tuesday night that would allow safety aides to use flexible handcuffs to restrain students who demonstrate threatening behavior.

"We've been in situations where we've had to restrain students for 30 minutes, 40 minutes, an hour," said Shawn Buford, a safety aide at Custer High School. Buford said he has been out of school three times this school year after being assaulted by students.

But Raphiel Cole called use of handcuffs "a form of pre-institution that you are doing for our kids."

Cole, who has nieces and nephews in Milwaukee Public Schools, added: "Anything but these handcuffs. You are going to have holding cells for the children, what's next?"

Posted by Jim Zellmer at April 19, 2007 6:37 AM
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