By JOSH AULT
6 News Reporter
NEWPORT (WATE) - A five-year-old Cocke County boy was handcuffed to a chair at school after teachers were unable to control him.
The boy's family is furious, but school officials say the handcuffs were the only way to prevent him from hurting others or himself.
James Pierce, a kindergarten, was handcuffed at Northwest Elementary School in Newport.
James' mother, Rachel Pierce, says the incident happened August 23. The boy's parents were called to the school that day because of his behavior.
"I thought, why is my son handcuffed to a chair?" Pierce said. "Why couldn't the teachers or someone hold him instead of handcuffing him?"
Pierce says one of James' ankles was handcuffed by the school resources officer to the bottom of a chair.
"My husband asked them to let him off the handcuffs," she said. "He asked [the officer] six times before he let him loose."
School officials would not go on camera, but say James' behavior has been a problem since school started. They say his parents have been called numerous times and that he has escaped from the school building at least twice.
"The administration, faculty, and staff of Northwest Elementary attempted various means of therapeutic intervention strategies to try to control the behavior of this student," school administrators said in written statement." Every strategy incorporated failed to remedy the out of control actions of this child."
Administrators say the school resource officer restrained the child as a last resort.
Because the SRO works for the sheriff's department, an investigation was conducted.
"We came to a very clear, concise finding that this officer utilized his training and also whatever means necessary to prevent this child from injuring himself," said Cocke County Sheriff Armando Fontes.
James' mother says her son does have some behavioral problems and he is currently on medication, but she still feels more needs to be done to prevent something like this from happening again.
"I don't want another child handcuffed like my son was," said Pierce.
School officials say they are still investigating this incident. The sheriff says his investigation is closed.
The family says they are thinking about hiring an attorney.
Fontes said the school resource officer that handcuffed the child will not be disciplined. He has been with the department several years and rotates in nine different schools.
The Pierces have not allowed their son to go back to school since this incident. The sheriff says they have the right to file an official complaint with the department.
James Pierce, 5, was handcuffed to a chair by a school resource officer. School officials say they were unable to control him.
