Sixth grade boy shackled for being in bathroom during class

ABC13 Eyewitness News
(10/18/03 - GALVESTON) — Was it an appropriate punishment or did the officer go way too far?

A sixth grade boy with autism was shackled after he was found in the bathroom during class. And the fact the safety officer was fired wasn't good enough for the boy's grandmother.

Ralph Kennedy, 12, points out his bruises he allegedly acquired after being shackled to the wall for more than two hours.

The incident happened this past Wednesday at Austin Middle School in Galveston. According to the student's grandmother and the school district, the 12-year-old remained shackled for two hours.

"He took these really long handcuffs, and he took me into the social studies class," said student Ralph Kennedy. "I sat in the desk at the back of the room and he took one part on my ankle and the other part to the railing."

Galveston ISD started an investigation immediately.

"Following the investigation, it was discovered that the officer's conduct violated district policy, so he was released Friday," said Christine Ruiz Hopkins of Galveston ISD.

Flora Flisowski, the grandmother who cares for Ralph and four other grandchildren, says she knows Ralph is very active because of his autism, but that he should not have been shackled. And she's not satisfied with just the firing.

"I really think he should face going to jail just like anybody else because if I had shackled him, I'd be behind bars," said Flisowski.

Ralph is angry too, and has his own sense of fairness and justice.

"I did feel pretty angry when he shackled me," said Kennedy. "He ought to be lucky that I didn't find a way to get those things off me because then I would have shackled him and see how he liked being shackled."

Mrs. Flisowski says she'll meet with school administrators on Monday. She says she wants to know if she needs to move her grandson to another school.
(Copyright © 2003, KTRK-TV)

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