Handcuffed Student Throwing Up After Trauma Of Arrest

By Jen Chung
Gothamist
Feb. 16, 2010

The mother of Alexa Gonzalez, the Queens public school student arrested after being caught doodling on her desk, tells the Daily News that the principal is unapologetic about how the 12-year-old was treated. According to Moraima Camacho, Junior High School 190 principal Marilyn Grant said "that it wasn't their fault that it was something they had to do. She doesn't consider it doodling."

When her teacher saw her doodling/defacement of school property with a lime green magic marker, an assistant principal called the cops and Gonzalez was hauled away in metal handcuffs (and not plastic handcuffs that authorities use on adult protesters!) to the police precinct across the street. Camacho told WCBS 2, "As soon as I saw her take off the handcuffs I said, 'No, what are you …' and (the officer) was like, 'sorry, this is the procedure. We have to do this.'... My daughter was humiliated! Humiliated!" Plus, Gonzalez is reportedly throwing up after the trauma.

The Department of Education admitted that Grant made a mistake and said Gonzalez's suspension would be lifted (the student still faces 8 hours of community service, a book report and an essay) and the NYPD agreed handcuffing the girl was going a little too far. The NYCLU's executive director Donna Lieberman said "This should be a wakeup call to the mayor" (the group has already sued the city for excessive arrests of students). Still, Camacho was worried that the incident means her daughter will have a permanent police record, but "an NYPD spokesman told CBS 2 HD no files are being maintained on the 12-year-old. "