Regarding this incidence, and any similar that occur, I would agree 100% with filing a lawsuit, with information discovery and letting things play out in court, to determine who was at fault. Only with such lawsuits will all relevant information be uncovered, and will, if the evidence warrants, such police, school systems, and even parents who are naive or selfish not only learn of the harms that occur at schools, but for the appropriate parties to be held accountable. My blame is not with the child with that condition who had a meltdown, as he did not ask for that condition, and likely did not ask or choose to be at that school. It was the parents and school administration who wanted or needed that.
That Autistic child likely had no control of certain behaviors that occured in that classroom with those surroundings and students, and if a sensory trigger was present, or sensory accommodation need not given, or if the teacher's desired or needed ways of doing things things did not match that pupils needs because of any Autistic rigid routine need or other personal or other need to be met with compassion or understanding. Yes, the teachers also need knowledge, coping abilities and a detailed plan that puts these children and safety first, which would reduce these meltdowns, the occurence and duration of such , to make the learning experience and environment best for all.
And so although I do agree no teaching or school staff should be physically harmed, if they did not physically harm the student first, or do some action negligently or maliciously that precipated that, the school system/teacher(s) though needs to take accountability, if any school staff negligence or misconduct occurred, and that does not mean wrongs done just in the classroom by staff. Administration decisions made prior, often without parental input, like regarding where best to place the child for classrooms, and with regards to bullying, accommodation and crises policies, and IEP plans that were originally general or crafted without asking parents first, can be not a fit for the situation. Sometimes administration refuses to bend on such items, or they may not follow their own policies.
Of course some parents can be to blame too, if they just wanted their child like in the local public school without looking into that school first to make sure it was a safe and acceptable learning environment, and if they made no great attempt to communicate specifically in detail about the child's Autism issues prior, and to talk to the staff that would be instructing their child, to get acceptable answers to their many questions, in writing if need be, too, including getting all the school's policies in writing, too. Parents must demand changes and clarification of any such issues they disagree with, too. Parents must not be naive, enabling and uncaring and assume harms are not occuring in the school. Coverups happen all the time. When do teachers and administration ever admit wrongs? So of course lawsuits are often needed to uncover the truth, if a disabled child's rights seem to have been potentially violated.
Specific school systems should not be obligated to accept any child if they feel that child could be a danger to others. That school administration and relevant staff must not assume all autistic persons are the same, and treat them the same. Some might not be a fit for a specific classroom, and then other educational or other recommendations must be made to the parents. It is not a parents fault though if the school system accepts a special needs student and tries to integrate that child either with regular students or with special needs students with different conditions that could be triggers to that autistic child. The right decision needs to be made there.
Also, school systems that accept special need students into a classroom must have the proper training, knowledge and coping abilities, and with a specific reasonable crisis plan in place, or else they have no business taking these students in. School systems must use their monetary resources and grants given to them wisely, and not scrimp on training and programs for those with special needs and where safety is involved. It should be seen as a privilage to be working with children with needs, and parents need the schools to put these children first and not themselves.
This does not mean children with conditions are all saints, or that some may not act out when no wrong has occurred. But, they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and teachers and police need to be smart enough to use common sense. For instance, if such a child is calming down in a corner, do not try to restrain him, take him away then, or trigger him in those verbal and physical sensory triggering ways. Certain actions police and teaching staff did or did not do could have caused a meltdown in at least some of those cases, or caused the meltdown to prolong. This society still does not understand much about Autism we agree, and it took us as parents awhile to figure things out.
But, unfortunately, I think school systems, police departments, etc. will never admit outwardly any wrong regarding such meltdowns, anyways, even if they had all that knowledge what to do, coping ability or a plan in place, or if they secretly knew they were partly to blame. It is easier to blame that child as being some monster, or to blame the parent, and it is easier often for that entity to have policies that protect them foremost and that are catered to the masses to make things easier for them. Those other entities often focus on following just their rigid rules and protocols, and not making attempts to see persons as individuals, with individual needs, limitations, and individual ways to be handled. When persons enter the police and teaching profession, standards are set high. One mistake by these employees could me life, death or much suffering. It takes a very strong, vigilant, yet empathetic flexible person to do well or succeed in these professions. Those who cannot be such, or be open minded and admit wrongs when they occur, need to consider another line of work. I see fault with all entities, except often with the special needs student.
