The Parents of an Autistic Child Sue a South Dakota School District Over Mistreatment
A Rapid City couple has filed a federal lawsuit against the local school district, its superintendent and others over how their autistic son was treated by staff.
Dwayne Milne and Jaclynn Paul claim in their lawsuit that their 8-year-old son, who has been diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, was mistreated as a student at Knollwood Elementary School in 2019.
The parents allege their child was tackled, assaulted and restrained by staff at the school. They also say he was, at times, taken to a de-escalation area in a corner of a classroom that was walled off by 5-foot high dividers, which they said resembled a cattle pen, KOTA-TV reported.