A black student and his parents have won an arduous five-year-long legal battle against the Moreno Valley United School District. The lawsuit mentioned that the victim, named as “C.B.,” was handcuffed and restrained at his middle school multiple times in response to complaints of misbehavior related to his disabilities, which include ADHD and ODD.
The incident took place in 2019 when C.B. was only 11 years old. Over four months, school security officers at Landmark Middle School and Riverside County sheriff’s deputies allegedly handcuffed him multiple times.
The school claimed that the victim allegedly had several disciplinary issues, including arguing, attempting to leave class, and throwing things at people.
What school police treated like a power struggle, a judge saw for what it was: a disturbing pattern that never should have made it past the classroom door.https://t.co/wqVWqBnGyZ
— Atlanta Black Star (@ATLBlackStar) December 27, 2025
According to Atlanta Black Star, one major incident occurred in October 2019, when authorities entered the student’s classroom to investigate a report that he had thrown a rock at a security officer the previous day.
A video of the incident shows them pulling the boy away from his desk and cuffing his hands behind his back while he cried in pain. He was then removed from school, and his family said he was left frightened and traumatized by the encounter.
C.B.’s parents argued that his behavior was tied to disabilities and that he needed special attention instead of physical force. After unsuccessful attempts to resolve the issue with the district, the parents sought help from non-profit organizations and filed a federal lawsuit in February 2021.
The complaint named the district, Riverside County, the sheriff’s department, and several officials. The victim’s father talked about the traumatic experience and said, “No student should have to experience what our son endured. No police should slam a child to the ground and handcuff them when they aren’t doing anything wrong.”
He added, “There should be better staff or therapists to help disabled children, and there should not be police at schools, especially when they abuse students that they are not trained to serve or support.”
The lawsuit alleged that C.B. faced excessive force and was treated unfairly because of both his disability and race. It also claimed that what should have been handled as disability-related behavior was instead treated as a law-enforcement problem.
Meanwhile, the defendants denied the allegations and attempted to have the case dismissed. After over two years of court proceedings, U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal ruled that the district violated federal disability law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.
He concluded that security personnel were not trained to accommodate students with disabilities. Bernal also highlighted that disabled, and especially Black disabled, students were being restrained and referred to law enforcement at higher rates.
A Texas School Resource Officer slammed a teen into a school wall while in handcuffs on December 17, 2025, at Horn High School in Mesquite, Texas. This is not “classroom management” or “keeping order.” This is violent, state-sanctioned assault on a child. pic.twitter.com/2tGfCxQ61F
— Lee Merritt (@LeeMerrittesq) December 23, 2025
On November 30, 2023, the court ordered MVUSD to change its policies regarding school policing. The judge also ordered the district to pay $1.2 million to C.B., and asked Riverside County and its sheriff’s department to pay an additional $650,000 to the victim as compensation for the physical and mental pain he had to endure.
However, attorneys’ fees still remained a point of contention between the plaintiffs and the defendants. Since the plaintiffs prevailed on important civil rights issues, the court ruled that the district was responsible for paying their legal fees, which amounted to $5.2 million.
The two parties finally settled in November this year, marking an end to the years-long court battle. However, the case continues to raise important questions about the role of police on school campuses and how disabled students, particularly belonging to minority communities, are handled at educational institutions.
