Student Put In ‘Bad Kid Box,’ Parents Say School Knew He Has Asperger’s

Parents of a student put in a “bad kid box” are frustrated after they say their son — who has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome — was humiliated in front of his peers despite a detailed plan on how to handle behavioral issues when they arise.

Mother Beth Dean tells a local paper that the student was put in a bad kid box for 15 minutes, roughly, and that the bizarre form of discipline was inexplicably used despite the fact that there is a plan with steps to take should the student have a an issue with his behavior — Dean says:

“[Being] placed in [a] cardboard box was not one of those steps.”

Dean said that the entirety of the “bad kid box” wasn’t apparent and that the strange punishment was even downplayed by school administrators until another student showed her a picture of the cardboard structure.

Wood County Assistant Schools Superintendent Sue Woodward said the incident of the student placed in a bad kid box does not characterize the district’s approach to special needs kids.

“It is not what we send our children to school for and not what we want to happen to our kids, on the parent side or the school side … I hope the adults will work together to make sure it doesn’t happen to another student.”

Jeff Richards is the father of the student put in a box for disciplinary reasons, and he says he and Dean plan to meet with the school to discuss the bizarre punishment.