6-year-old handcuffed at school: the Salecia Johnson case

Kindergartner throws tantrum at school, is handcuffed by police

On April 13, 2012, a 6-year-old kindergartner threw such a violent tantrum at Creekside Elementary School in Milledgeville, Georgia \u2014 tearing items off walls, throwing furniture, scratching and kicking \u2014 that the principal called police. The responding officer handcuffed the child, Salecia Johnson, and took her to the station, where her family picked her up.

The case, first reported by WMAZ and the Associated Press, ignited a national debate. The girl's mother, Constance Ruff, said the child was traumatized; she hired an attorney and filed a complaint alleging the officer used excessive force.

Police officials pushed back. Milledgeville Police Chief Dray Swicord said the officer handcuffed the child for her own safety and followed department policy, and that the principal had requested the child be restrained. An investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation later concluded the officer acted appropriately within policy.

Public reaction split. Many commenters sided with the school and police \u2014 arguing that if staff had restrained the child themselves, the parents would have sued \u2014 while others called handcuffing a six-year-old a symptom of schools outsourcing discipline to law enforcement.

The Johnson case became an early flashpoint in what would grow into a years-long national reckoning over police presence in schools and the discipline of very young children.

This item was updated during our 2026 editorial audit to replace the original truncated stub. Facts above are drawn from the AP/WMAZ reporting of the case and the subsequent GBI investigation findings.

[caption id="attachment_6266" align="alignleft" width="203" caption="Salecia Johnson"][/caption]

Kindergartner throws tantrum at school, is handcuffed by police

The news coming out of Georgia today revolves around a 6-year-old kindergartner who threw such a violent tantrum that school officials called police, who handcuffed her for her own safety.

But the real story is this: Many people are siding with police.

"I agree with the school, let the police cuff her. If anyone at the school would have touched her the parents would have sued and said how wrong they were," said one commenter at