I am way behind on this thread but just really need to chime in. I think it is sad that this child was handcuffed. We don't know the details of this child's school history. That may have played a huge part in what happened.
Some of you may remember the thread I had on my nieces and nephew. I am NOT saying the child in this thread was like my nephew, just pointing out a few things.
My nephew was suspended multiple times in kindergarten, and finally expelled! He did things like toppling another child's desk onto them, stabbed a child with a pencil, cut the teachers sweater while she was leaning over helping another child, threw books at teachers, aides, and children, ripped up other children's work. The teacher, aide, and administration tried , they really did. It got to the point where they would call my ex SIL to come and pick him up. Ex SILs response was to blame the school, then take nephew out for treats for the day. Nephew ripped up someone's work, well that's because they finished first and he likes to be first. Nephew stabbed kid with pencil, well that's because he wanted the color crayon the other student had, student should have given it to him. Nephew cut teachers sweater, well she shouldn't have been standing there paying attention to another student while asking nephew to wait his turn. You get the idea . Every time he was sent home he would get a trip to the toy store, going to the park, out to lunch.
I tried to warn her not to bad mouth the teacher and school in front of him, and NOT to make getting sent home fun. it got to the point where he rarely made it through a full day of school, and eventually he was home most days within 2 hours of getting there. When he got expelled mom picked him up from school and they went and bought him a Nintendo DS. All the while mom was insisting that the SCHOOL should be teaching him to behave , not sending him home!
My nephews school offered mom tons of resources, wanted him tested, wanted mom to have a mental health exam done on him. Mom fought, mom threatened lawsuits. When nephew was expelled it was close to the end of the school year.
All this to point out that sometimes the teacher and schools really do have their hands tied.
( Again, I am NOT saying this is the case with this child.)