Denver father speaks about 7-year-old son handcuffed at school
05/04/2019 9:54 am PDT
By Keagan Harsha, KDVR
DENVER (KDVR) -- A Denver man is now speaking publicly about his 7-year-old son being handcuffed inside his elementary school.
It happened on April 19 at Florida Pitt Waller K-8 School in Green Valley Ranch.
Brandon Pryor says he received a phone call from the school that his son had been handcuffed after getting into an altercation with another student.
"My son was really upset and they were trying to calm him down and remove him from the classroom. He said he was in handcuffs for 30 minutes or more. That's scary for an adult, let alone a 7-year-old kid," Pryor said.
Denver Public Schools isn't disputing the boy was handcuffed, and the incident is now sparking a broader discussion about the district's handcuff policy.
The FOX31 Problem Solvers have learned the incident isn't isolated. According to numbers obtained through a public records request, 58 students have been handcuffed in Denver Public Schools over just the past two years. During the 2017-2018 school year, 31 students were handcuffed by Denver Public Schools Department of Safety employees. In 2018-2019, 27 students were handcuffed.
MORE: Denver father speaks about 7-year-old son handcuffed at school - KDVR