Florida schools still aren't required to track and report Baker Act use

Contact 5 speaks with two local mothers, both with children under the age of 10, who were among the thousands of juveniles involuntarily examined under the Baker Act each year.

MOTHER IS SHARING HER OUTRAGCONTACT FIVE INVESTIGATOR DAVEBOHMAN TONIGHT WITH HOW SHESAYS THE INCIDENT HAS LEFT HERSON WITH DAMAGING EMOTIONASCARS.<< [ DAVE ] MENTAL HEALTHPROFESSIONALS UNDERSTAND WHYFLORIDASEND TEENS FOR A MENTAL HEALTHTEST&SOME THREATEN SUICIDE&MAKE OR HINT ON-LINE OFBRINGING FIREARMS TO SCHOOLS.BUT WHAT ABOUT YOUNGER KIDS,WHO ACT OUT AT SCHOOL.[PACKAGE] AUGUST 2019, ATACREAGE PINES ELEMENTARY INLOXAHATCHEE&A NINE- YEAR-OLDBOY SEEMS TO LOSE CONTROLDURING A TANTRUM CONTACT FIVEOBTAINED THE SCHOOL INCIDENTREPORT FROM HIS THERAPIST.

SHECLAIMS THE CHILD“PUNCHED HERIN THE CHEST” AND“KICKED HERIN THE SHIN” BUT THATPAPERWORK ALSO SHOWS THETHERAPIST WRITING THE CHILDWAS“CALMING DOWN&” WHENACCORRDING TO THE THERAPIST,THE SCHOOL POLICE OFFICER“TACKLED HI”&THEN INVOKED THBAKER ACT TO SEND THE CHILD TOA HOSPITAL MENTAL HEALTH WARD.[ JAMIE SEILER ] [ 2:42:58RUNS:08]“IN HANDCUFFS AND INTHE BACK OF A POLICE CAR, ASSOMEONE WHO JUST HELD UP ACONVENIENCE STORE” JAMIESEILER IS THE CHILD[ JAMIE SEILER ] [ 2:56:18RUNS:03]“IABOUT IT” [ SHAHAR PASCH /ATTORNEY] [ 2:25:48 RUNS:05]“I THINK THAT POLICE THINKTHEYWHEN THEY BAKER ACT THECHILD” SHAHAR PASCH ISSEILERTAKEN ON SEVERAL SCHOOLS INOUR AREA OVER WHAT SHE CALLSTHE MISUSE OF THE BAKER ACT.

[SHAHAR PASCH / ATTORNEY] [2:09:58 RUNS:06]“THE BAKERACT IS USED TOO OFTEN BECAUSEITEXCLUSION AND DISCIPLINE”[--BUTT TO--] [ SHAHAR PASCH /ATTORNEY] [ 2:19:02 RUNS:06]“IT IS VERY FAIR TO SAY THAT ACHILD UNDER 10 SHOULD NOT BEBAKER ACTED” BUT IT ISHAPPENING ACROSS OUR STATE.

ARECENT REPORT FROM THEUNIVERSITY OF SOUTHFLORIDA&FOUND MORE THAN 4000CHILDREN 10 AND UNDER WEREBAKER-ACTED IN THE 2017-18SCHOOL YEAR.

[ DR. RAPHI WALD/ CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST ] [22:31:43 RUNS:03]“IT CAN BE ASCARY EXPERIENCE TO BE IN THATENVIRONMENT” DR. RAPHI WALDTREATS CHILDREN WITH MENTALHEALTH CONCERNS.

HEFAMILIAR WITH THE INCIDENTINVOLVING JAMIE SEILERBUT SAYS IN MANY CASES, KIDSWHO THROW TANTRUMS ANDTHREATEN TO HURT OTHERS CAN BECALMED WITHOUT THE NEED FORTHE BAKER ACT.

[ DR. RAPHIWALD / CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST ][ 22:30:50 RUNS:08]“I CAN GETTHEM TO A POINT WHERE THEYGOING TO SEE THAT THATREALLY A SOLUTION AND ITSOMETHING THEYGOING TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH”[ SHAHAR PASCH / ATTORNEY] [2:12:31 RUNS:05]“THE TRAININGPROVIDED TO THE OFFICERS BYTHE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS NOTSUFFICIENT” SHAHAR PASCH SAYSTHE SCHOOL POLICE OFFICER DID*NO* FOLLOW POLICY IN THECASE OF JAMIE SEILERCONTACT FIVE LOOKED AT THEPALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOLPOLICY, SHOWING THE BAKER ACTSHOULD BE USED IF THE CHILD,“APPEARS TO HAVE A MENTALHEALTH ILLNESS” ACCORDING TOFLORIDACHILDREN AND FAMILIES,“AUTISMIS A DIAGNOSIS&EXCLUDED FROMTHE LEGAL DEFINITION OF MENTILLNESS." [ JAMIE SEILER ] [2:52:35 RUNS:05]“HE WASNJUVENILE DELINQUENT HAVINGBEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS” CONTACTFIVE RECEIVED THE SCHOOLPOLICE OFFICERREPORT CLAIMING THENINE-YEAR-OLD WAS“TRYING TOBANG HIS HEAD AGAINST THEMETAL DOOR/FRAME” IN ADDITIONTO PUNCHING HIS THERAPIST.

THEOFFICER WROTE HIS ACTIONS WERESUPPORTED BY THE SCHOOLSYSTEMBUT THAT THERAPIST PUNCHED BYTHE CHILD CALLED THE OFFICERACTIONS,“UNNECESSARY BECAUSETHE TANTRUM BEHAVIOR HADCEASED AND WAS UNDER CONTROL”[ JAMIE SEILER ] [ 2:50:54RUNS:07]“SO INSTEAD OFWORKING WITH HIM ANDSUPPORTING HIM, ANDUNDERSTANDING HIM, HE WAS THEBAD KID” [DAVE STAND UP]JAMIE SEILER TRANSFERRED HERSON TO ANOTHER SCHOOL.

SHE ANDHER LAWYER ALSO SAY PALM BEACHCOUNTY SCHOOLS CONDUCTED ANINTERNAL INVESTIGATION, BUTTHEY HAVE NOT SEEN THEFINDINGS YET.

THE SCHOOLDISTRICT DECLINED TO COMMENTAS SEILER IS CONSIDERING ALAWSUIT.

DAVE BOHMAN, W-P-T-VNEWSCHANNEL