On the second day of school in Hamilton County, Tennessee, Ty, a 13-year-old with autism, brought a purple plush bunny, Bonnie, to Ooltewah Middle School. The bunny, a character from Ty’s favorite video game franchise, Five Nights at Freddy’s, provides him comfort during moments of distress. Concerned about others confiscating his toy, Ty told his teacher not to look in his backpack, saying, “Because the whole school will blow up.”
What followed was a series of events Ty and his family could hardly fathom. The teacher informed a school administrator, and police were called. Ty was escorted to the counselor’s office, where Bonnie was found in his bag. Police handcuffed him, searched him, and placed him in a squad car. “It was just this, right here,” Ty told reporters, holding his bunny. “And they still took me to jail.”
Ty’s arrest came under a new Tennessee law mandating felony charges for anyone making a threat of mass violence in school, regardless of credibility. Advocates had warned the law would disproportionately affect students with disabilities prone to outbursts. Although Ty qualifies for an exemption due to his intellectual disability and autism, his lawyer argued police didn’t consider this before arresting him. “Once you looked at his backpack, if there was nothing to hurt anyone, why did you handcuff my 13-year-old autistic son?” his mother asked.
Since the law’s implementation in July, Hamilton County has arrested 18 students for similar incidents; a third had disabilities, a stark contrast to the district-wide proportion. Ty’s specialized education plan outlines his struggles with regulating emotions and understanding social boundaries, factors directly linked to his disabilities.
Following his arrest, Ty was suspended for several days, and his juvenile case was dismissed. However, the school’s principal warned that any similar incident would result in the same protocol, prompting his mother to transfer him to another school. “Whenever we pass that school, Ty’s like: ‘Am I going back to jail, mom?’” she shared, highlighting the emotional toll on her son.
State legislators are debating amendments to prevent such incidents, but for Ty and his family, the trauma remains.
Link: ProPublica
Comentários