The parents of a blind child from North Kansas City are outraged after
they say their son’s cane was taken away from him at school by a bus
driver.
Eight-year-old Dakota Nafzinger attends Gracemor Elementary School.
Rachel Nafzinger said school staff took away her son’s cane as
punishment for bad behaviour on the bus and then gave him a swimming
pool noodle to use as a substitute.
North Kansas City School District Spokeswoman Michelle Cronk confirmed
taking away Dakota’s cane, calling it school property that was given to
him when he enrolled.
She said they took it away after he reportedly hit someone with it and
wanted to prevent him from hurting himself or others.
His family said it was a way to humiliate him for misbehaving.
They say Dakota is like any other 8-year-old, only he was born without
eyes - something in the medical world known as Bilateral Anopthalmia.
“Why would you do that? Why would you take the one thing that he’s
supposed to use all the time? That’s his eyes,” his mother said.
Cronk said Dakota hit somebody with his cane on Monday while riding the
bus. When asked why a pool noodle was given to him as a substitute,
Cronk said Dakota fidgets and needed something to hold. “They said they
were going to give me this for the next two weeks,” Dakota said.
Dakota’s mother said he was written up for misbehaving on the bus, but
she said she doesn’t understand why his punishment was to take away the thing he needs the most.
“He’s gone through so much in his life already, 8 years, 8 years, and I just don’t like someone else putting my son in that position,” she said. Dakota’s father, Donald Nafzinger, said his son simply lifts his cane sometimes and the bus driver thought he was using it violently. “All around, he’s a good little guy, and he shouldn’t be treated the way he’s being treated,” he said. On Tuesday Dakota attended his sister’s concert with nothing but a pool noodle to guide him around. “Can’t feel things,” he said.
Cronk said Dakota hit somebody with his cane on Monday while riding the
bus. When asked why a pool noodle was given to him as a substitute,
Cronk said Dakota fidgets and needed something to hold. “They said they
were going to give me this for the next two weeks,” Dakota said.
Dakota’s mother said he was written up for misbehaving on the bus, but
she said she doesn’t understand why his punishment was to take away the thing he needs the most.
“He’s gone through so much in his life already, 8 years, 8 years, and I just don’t like someone else putting my son in that position,” she said. Dakota’s father, Donald Nafzinger, said his son simply lifts his cane sometimes and the bus driver thought he was using it violently. “All around, he’s a good little guy, and he shouldn’t be treated the way he’s being treated,” he said. On Tuesday Dakota attended his sister’s concert with nothing but a pool noodle to guide him around. “Can’t feel things,” he said.
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