The parents of an autistic boy are suing the school they claim caused their son physical and emotional injuries after they had him arrested and he was put in a straight-jacket following an altercation with a teacher.
Colton Granito, who was eight in February 2014 at the time of the incident, was disciplined by R.T. Fisher School in Gallatin, Tennessee, after he hit a teacher in the face because he could not have a book, reports FOX 25.
"I was getting mad," Colton said. "I punched a teacher."
Colton claims following the assault he was restrained, handcuffed, and taken to Sumner County Sheriff’s Department where he was locked-up behind bars.
An audio recording was taken that day by his mother and Colton can be heard crying for his family and hitting the jail cell wall calling to be released.
"Walking in there and seeing him huddled up in that corner and not being able to get him out and the look on his face and to hear that cry right there," Colton’s father Larry said, "as a father, it's hard to listen to."
As a result of being put in a straight-jacket, Colton’s family claims the boy suffered multiple physical and emotional injuries.
"He's terrified of police officers," Colton’s mother Brittany Granito said. "He has to wear Pull-Ups every single night. He has nightmares."
The family also claims the school violated protocol in how they handled the situation.
Colton’s parent’s told 4 I-Team that the school was aware their son was prone to violent outbursts and had a crisis management plan to follow should an instance occur.
The school did not follow the plan, and Colton was charged with assault. He is still on probation.
Brittany said she had to quit her job to care for her son because he is still traumatized.
The lawsuit has reportedly been filed against the Sumner County School District and the Sumner County Sheriff’s Department for $500,000.
"There needs to be some accountability," Brittany said. "It can happen to any child with special needs."
Both the school district and sheriff’s department say they have not received the lawsuit and will not comment on the situation until they do.
Source:http://www.wsmv.com