MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — A South Carolina special education teacher forcibly cut an elementary school student’s hair after he would not sit still in class, court paperwork alleges.

The 2018 incident is detailed in a lawsuit filed this week in Horry County court. The lawsuit only names the victim, who is the sole plaintiff, by initials. The filing names Homewood Elementary, teacher Terri Capps and Horry County Schools as the defendants.

The student was in Capps’ special education class on Aug. 22, 2018, when the teacher threatened to cut the youngster’s hair, according to the lawsuit.

Days later, Capps ordered the student to the front of the class because he was fidgeting. Capps then cut the student’s hair in front of his classmates, the suit states.

The classmates saw the haircut and then laughed mockingly at the student, the lawsuit states.

After the incident, the student refused to attend school because of embarrassment and did not trust adults, authority figures or his parents, the filing claims.

The filing asks for an unspecified amount of damages. Horry County Schools Spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier said the district does not comment on pending litigation.

© 2020 The Sun News
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