ACLU of South Carolina Comment on Video of Violence Against Student by School Resource Officer

CHARLESTON – Cell phone videos surfaced on social media today of a school resource officer at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, South Carolina, using excessive force on a female student who was sitting at her desk in a classroom. The videos show her being thrown to the floor and dragged: http://www.wistv.com/story/30353999/video-shows-confrontation-between-spring-valley-student-and-school-resource-officer.

Victoria Middleton, Executive Director of the ACLU of South Carolina, had this comment:

"There is no justification whatsoever for treating a child like this. Regardless of the reason for the officer’s actions, such egregious use of force — against young people who are sitting in their classrooms — is outrageous. School should be a place to learn and grow, not a place to be brutalized.

"We must take action to address the criminalization of children in South Carolina, especially at school."