Father: Alabama school used ‘buckle chair’ to punish son

ARAB, Ala. – The father of a special-needs student in Alabama claims his son was punished by being restrained in a chair designed for therapeutic purposes.

In a federal lawsuit filed last week, the father says he only learned his son was placed in the Rifton chair after the boy told his doctor he didn’t like “the buckle chair.”

The lawsuit was filed last week against the school system in Arab, Alabama. In the past decade, parents have filed similar lawsuits in Louisiana, Florida and Virginia.

A 2014 U.S. Senate committee report found that Rifton chairs are meant to provide support and stability for disabled students, but aren’t intended to be used for discipline.

Arab City Schools Superintendent John Mullins declined to comment Tuesday.

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