Ind. Court Clears Teacher Who OK’d Restraints

The Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled a teacher can't be prosecuted for giving a classroom aide permission to strap a disruptive autistic student into a chair.

The Indianapolis Star reports the court this week dismissed charges of confinement, battery and neglect of a dependent against Indianapolis Perry Township teacher Catherine Littleton.

Court documents indicate the aide restrained the 12-year-old Perry Meridian Middle School student to keep him from harming himself in February 2010. The three-judge panel ruled that Littleton was immune to prosecution because she acted in good faith.

The judges wrote that the child wasn't harmed and laughed while being restrained.

Littleton remains on administrative leave without pay from the school.