A father has filed a lawsuit against the Nassau County Police Department, alleging that officers traumatized his autistic son during a school safety drill.
The complaint was filed by T.M.W. on behalf of his son, T.A.W., and names Police Commissioner Patrick J. Ryder as a defendant. The case centers on an incident on September 13, 2024, at Locust Valley Intermediate School. Nine-year-old T.A.W., who has Autism Spectrum Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, was placed directly under an emergency siren during a safety drill despite warnings from his parents about his sensitivity to loud noises. The siren triggered panic, and T.A.W. fled to the school psychologist’s office, where he hid under a desk before being forcibly removed by staff.
The school principal reported the incident to the Nassau County Police Department as an administrative matter. The lawsuit alleges that the police altered this report to justify dispatching twelve armed officers to the child’s home later that day.
The complaint accuses the department of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act by discriminating against T.A.W. based on his disabilities. It further claims that neurotypical students who engaged in similar behavior were not subjected to comparable treatment.
T.M.W. seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, compensatory damages for emotional distress suffered by T.A.W. and his family, and policy changes regarding police interactions with disabled students in schools. The lawsuit also requests mandatory disability-awareness training for officers in school programs and preservation of disability-related assessments by school administrators in future incidents.
The case was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York under Case ID: 2:25-cv-05161.