EnglishLady
Veteran Expediter
Mail
A mother has criticised school authorities for committing her six-year-old son to a psychiatric ward against her wishes because of a picture he drew in class.
Jack Dorman was pulled out of his elementary school classroom after he sketched a drawing of zombies and stick figures and wrote that he wanted to die.
But the boy’s furious mother, Syndi, said her son was simply upset that his soldier father was being deployed to Iraq
She said the way Los Angeles school officials treated her son ’was right up there with my worst nightmare.’
Mrs Dorman added: ‘They said they were concerned about a picture he drew. I said he plays video games and it’s a picture from a video game.'
She claims Jack suffers from separation anxiety and was particularly upset on the day he drew the disturbing picture after learning his father, an Army commander, was leaving for Iraq on Thursday.
‘I explained to them what was happening, that my husband was being deployed to Iraq, that he was upset when he came to school today, that he wanted to be at home,’ she said.
‘I’m saying, "I will deal with it, that we have a therapist and that we’ll make sure he’s seen today".’
‘They said it was out of my hands. They said they were in control and they could do this and had already called an ambulance.
‘I said, "Can you do this?" and they’re like, "Yeah", Mrs Dorman said in an interview with NBC. ‘I’m just like, "What? Can I get a lawyer? How is this happening?".'
Education chiefs in San Pedro, California, were alerted on Monday after a teacher became worried about Jack’s drawing. The principal at Taper Avenue Elementary called a Los Angeles County psychiatric mobile response team.
They determined that the boy needed to be taken by ambulance to the local Del Amico Hospital in Torrance and immediately be committed to a 72-hour psychiatric hold
Mrs Dorman said the ambulance ride was terrifying for her son, who was already seeing a therapist because he became anxious when he was separated from his family.
‘I was trying to reassure him that it would be okay and he asked if I’d come back for him and I said of course I am going to come back for you,’ added Mrs Dorman.
Jack was released after 48 hours, but his mother fears the ordeal has traumatised her son.
‘My son doesn’t want to go back to school. He’s afraid they are going to take him away again,’ she said.
However, as a result of the incident, Mrs Dorman was able to contact officials at her husband’s military training centre and he was able to delay his tour of duty.
‘He will be able to come home and see him for a few days. He’ll be able to reassure Jack that everything is okay,’ she told the local Daily Breeze newspaper.
In a statement, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Ramon Cortines insisted his staff took the appropriate action.
‘We did the right thing here,’ he said. ‘I can unequivocally state that correct procedures and protocols were followed, including contacting the parents and accessing community resources such as the Los Angeles County Psychiatric Mobile Response Team.
‘When any student indicates a desire to take his or her own life, the LAUSD is required to follow strict protocols to ensure the safety of the student. The safety of LAUSD students is paramount,’ he added
A mother has criticised school authorities for committing her six-year-old son to a psychiatric ward against her wishes because of a picture he drew in class.
Jack Dorman was pulled out of his elementary school classroom after he sketched a drawing of zombies and stick figures and wrote that he wanted to die.
But the boy’s furious mother, Syndi, said her son was simply upset that his soldier father was being deployed to Iraq
She said the way Los Angeles school officials treated her son ’was right up there with my worst nightmare.’
Mrs Dorman added: ‘They said they were concerned about a picture he drew. I said he plays video games and it’s a picture from a video game.'
She claims Jack suffers from separation anxiety and was particularly upset on the day he drew the disturbing picture after learning his father, an Army commander, was leaving for Iraq on Thursday.
‘I explained to them what was happening, that my husband was being deployed to Iraq, that he was upset when he came to school today, that he wanted to be at home,’ she said.
‘I’m saying, "I will deal with it, that we have a therapist and that we’ll make sure he’s seen today".’
‘They said it was out of my hands. They said they were in control and they could do this and had already called an ambulance.
‘I said, "Can you do this?" and they’re like, "Yeah", Mrs Dorman said in an interview with NBC. ‘I’m just like, "What? Can I get a lawyer? How is this happening?".'
Education chiefs in San Pedro, California, were alerted on Monday after a teacher became worried about Jack’s drawing. The principal at Taper Avenue Elementary called a Los Angeles County psychiatric mobile response team.
They determined that the boy needed to be taken by ambulance to the local Del Amico Hospital in Torrance and immediately be committed to a 72-hour psychiatric hold
Mrs Dorman said the ambulance ride was terrifying for her son, who was already seeing a therapist because he became anxious when he was separated from his family.
‘I was trying to reassure him that it would be okay and he asked if I’d come back for him and I said of course I am going to come back for you,’ added Mrs Dorman.
Jack was released after 48 hours, but his mother fears the ordeal has traumatised her son.
‘My son doesn’t want to go back to school. He’s afraid they are going to take him away again,’ she said.
However, as a result of the incident, Mrs Dorman was able to contact officials at her husband’s military training centre and he was able to delay his tour of duty.
‘He will be able to come home and see him for a few days. He’ll be able to reassure Jack that everything is okay,’ she told the local Daily Breeze newspaper.
In a statement, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Ramon Cortines insisted his staff took the appropriate action.
‘We did the right thing here,’ he said. ‘I can unequivocally state that correct procedures and protocols were followed, including contacting the parents and accessing community resources such as the Los Angeles County Psychiatric Mobile Response Team.
‘When any student indicates a desire to take his or her own life, the LAUSD is required to follow strict protocols to ensure the safety of the student. The safety of LAUSD students is paramount,’ he added
