Kentucky deputy sheriff faces lawsuit for reportedly handcuffing children with disabilities as punishment

Photo of a pair of handcuffs Reuters/File

Kenton County Deputy Sheriff Kevin Sumner, the police officer who was caught on tape handcuffing children with disabilities as punishment, is facing legal action for supposedly violating basic human rights.

In a court filing submitted on Monday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, the children's parents, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), are asking for punitive and compensatory damages, writes ABC News. The group is also seeking an official declaration from the state that handcuffing is a violation of children's rights and is calling for additional training for school authorities on dealing with special needs students. As of this writing, the Kenton County Sheriff's office has said it will withhold comment until it reviews the allegations made.

The lawsuit was filed against Deputy Kevin Sumner, the school resource officer at Latonia Elementary School in Covington. The official document names the Kenton County Sheriff's Office and Sheriff Charles Korzenborn. In an interview with various members of the press, Atty. Kenyon Mayer, who represents one of the kids' parents, said that handcuffs have no place in a school environment and should not be used to discipline small children.

The lawsuit involves two students, a 9-year-old girl and the other an 8-year-old boy, both of whom have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In a cell phone video presented by the ACLU, the little boy is seen crying in pain after his handcuffs locked around his upper arms. The child was so small that he was cuffed on the biceps and not on the wrists, according to CNN . School records reportedly show that the child was locked in for around 15 minutes. The little girl was also handcuffed behind her back via the biceps on two occasions. All three incidents happened in the fall of 2014. Read a copy of the official court filing here .

In defence, Robert Sanders, the attorney for Sumner, told CNN that his client placed the kids in handcuffs because they "placed themselves and others in danger of harm." He also noted that Sumner is one of the best and most highly trained school resource officers in the county. "He's totally devoted to kids and schools and education," added Sanders.

The Covington Independent Public Schools said in a statement that it is district policy not to comment on the lawsuit, adding that is has fully cooperated with all parties concerned and will continue to do so.

School officer sued for handcuffing a disabled child