July 26, 2018, NW Indiana Times: Parents sue LaPorte school district alleging teacher used homemade chair to restrain 8-year-old autistic girl https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/parents-sue-laporte-school-district-alleging-teacher-used-homemade-chair/article_1faacafa-c279-5542-85e0-0b586c65a8b0.html The parents of an 8-year-old autistic girl are suing LaPorte Community School Corp. on allegations the girl's special education teacher belted her into a homemade restraining chair…. The Castles allege the district violated its own policies regarding student restraint and never informed them their daughter was placed in the device. Charles Castle said the school attempted to keep him out of the classroom after his child began classes in the fall. The parents became suspicious after their daughter exhibited “new and troubling behaviors” at home, including emotional outbursts and a refusal to wear a seat belt, the lawsuit states…. The complaint states the Castle's daughter is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The girl suffers from several common symptoms of autism — she has difficulty adjusting to change, she struggles with mutual conversation or play and is sensitive to stimuli — but she is also intelligent and artistically talented. … On Sept. 21, Charles Castle greeted a staff member and walked into his daughter's classroom, the complaint states. He was “shocked” to discover a homemade wooden restraint desk with his daughter's name on it was in the classroom. He also observed a tan belt sitting on the top of a similarly constructed desk next to his daughter's desk….. The girl's individualized education plan did not provide for the use of a restraint chair, the complaint states, and the Castles allege they never received an incident report detailing the use of restraint. …
