J.R. v. Palm Beach Cnty. Sch. Bd.

(S.D. Fla. 2006)

J.R. is a special education student with an emotional disability. During an incident in which he was misbehaving, the school called the resource officer to restrain him. After he was placed in handcuffs in a seclusion room and while he was on the floor, the resource officer pepper sprayed him. We filed a § 1983 excessive force police misconduct case seeking an injunction to improve the pepper spray policy in this school district, which allowed too much discretion in school resource officers. A mediated settlement provided for damages for the student, a change to the pepper spray policy, and training for school staff on the policy and in handling students with emotional and mental health problems. Co-counsel: Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County.