Students arrested for 'bad behavior, not criminal behavior'
Thousands of Florida students are arrested in school each year and taken to jail for behavior that once warranted a trip to the principal's office — a trend that troubles juvenile-justice and civil-rights leaders who say children are being traumatized for non-criminal acts.
Though the number of school arrests has dropped significantly since the state eased its "zero tolerance" policies a few years ago, there are still far too many kids handcuffed and hauled away in front of their classmates, said Wansley Walters, secretary of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.
"The vast majority of children being arrested in schools are not committing criminal acts," Walters said.
Palm Beach County Public Defender Carey Haughwout notes that:
• A child who accidentally set off a fire extinguisher in the hall was charged with a felony — interfering