News Release
NDN Collective
On December 3rd, 2022, on-site security staff and a Rapid City Police Department School Resource Officer at Central High School physically assaulted an Indigenous autistic student, leaving him with a concussion, contusions, and lasting trauma. The student and their family have asked to not use their name in order to protect their privacy. School administrators have not spoken publicly about the incident. Meanwhile, assault charges have been filed against the student in Pennington County, by the police officer involved. The family of the student is demanding the school administrators be held accountable, the security and police officer fired for assault of a minor, and the police removed from the school.
A video of the incident can be seen here.
Cases of violence inflicted on Indigenous children with disabilities have surfaced in Rapid City. Recently, a bus driver physically assaulted a 5-year-old boy, and an investigation is ongoing. Meanwhile, several Indigenous relatives have been killed by police officers in the last two weeks. In response to the rise in police violence and discrimination against the Indigenous community, NDN Collective released the following statements
“Removing police from schools is not only about addressing the immediate safety concerns of our students, but also recognizing and dismantling the systemic issues that lead to the school-to-prison pipeline. We must prioritize resources and solutions that promote restorative justice, mental health services, and other interventions that address the root causes of conflict, rather than relying on punitive measures that perpetuate cycles of violence and harm.” said Sunny Red Bear, Action Organizer, NDN Collective.
“I don’t know what a kid with a disability could ever do to provoke such violence from an adult security officer. For [the student] to have those kinds of injuries is unjustifiable. I am appalled at the indifference that Central High School has shown us — and then to turn around and charge [the student] with simple assault? This is discrimination against [the student] based on their race, their last name, and their disability,” said a Family Member of the Central High School Student.
“My child was picked up and slammed face-first onto the concrete by a school officer on what was supposed to be a fun night. Despite the fact that there was a crowd of people yelling at the officer to stop, and despite the fact that the officer’s violence left my child with a concussion, my child is now being charged with ‘assaulting’ the officer. Now, they are traumatized in a place they are supposed to be supported and learning,” said the Central High School Student’s Parent
About NDN Collective
NDN Collective is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power. Through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building, and narrative change, we are creating sustainable solutions on Indigenous terms.
