Collar-dragging teacher cleared in official probe
A Manawatu teacher who dragged a special needs student across the floor by the collar has been cleared of wrongdoing.
Clive Stevens, 16, missed six weeks of education when told he was no longer welcome at Feilding High School’s special needs unit after threatening a teacher on May 23.
An official investigation of the incident, launched after the Manawatu Standard revealed the story, found the teacher acted reasonably.
Clive’s primary caregiver, grandmother Maureen Stevens, said the incident involved Clive holding a pair of scissors to a teacher. Clive suffered a seizure or panic attack after the scissors were taken off him. Stevens said she was told a teacher dragged Clive from the room by the collar and he choked for a short time.
The school didn’t tell the Ministry of Education of the family’s claims about the incident.
The ministry investigation found the teacher faced a ‘‘very difficult’’ situation involving an ‘‘immediate risk of harm’’ to other students and the teacher.
Ministry head of sector entablement and support Katrina Casey said physical restraint was a last resort and was only used in emergency situations when a student’s behaviour posed imminent danger of physical injury to themselves and others.
With the right training, Casey said teachers could use other techniques, such as de-escalting volatile situations and identifying triggers occurred.
Feilding High School principal Martin O’grady was approached for comment, but did not respond. Casey said the school had requested training about dealing with physically challenging behaviour by students.
The ministry is arranging for these courses to be provided.
Feilding High School board of trustees chairwoman Ellen Bartlett was satisfied with how staff dealt with the incident and said the teacher acted in the best interests of other students.
The training would put staff in a better position to deal safely with highly stressful situations, Bartlett said.
‘‘For the ministry to clear the incident is a relief. Sometimes you do your best in the situation you’re before an incident put in and everyone’s view of what you should or should not do is different.’’
Stevens was disappointed by the ministry’s response and believed regular training for all teachers educating special needs students should be compulsory.
‘‘If they were trained properly they would have known to not move Clive [after having a seizure],’’ Stevens said. ‘‘I don’t envy their job, but I think Clive was just in the too-hard basket.’’
Stevens said Clive had a chromosome abnormality with dysmorphic features and intellectual disabilities, and his behaviour was due to a change of medication.
He was now enrolled at a different school, in Palmerston North. ‘‘He’s laughing and smiling again. He’s safe and that’s all I care about,’’ Stevens said.