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Metro Atlanta

School: North Fulton student pepper sprayed by police

Riverwood International Charter School principal Charles Gardner informed parents of the incident in a letter home. No other students were involved. Fulton County Schools did not comment.
Riverwood International Charter School principal Charles Gardner informed parents of the incident in a letter home. No other students were involved. Fulton County Schools did not comment.
By Mitchell Northam
April 27, 2018

Police pepper sprayed a student at a school in north Fulton County on Thursday, according to a letter sent to parents from the school’s principal.

The boy was a student at Riverwood International Charter School in Sandy Springs, and principal Charles Gardner said a school police officer pepper sprayed him after the student “left the office without permission” and “remained uncooperative” when school faculty tried to “de-escalate” the situation.

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Gardner said that “a small amount” of pepper spray was discharged and the student was treated by medical personnel. Some students may have seen the incident because it happened near the cafeteria during lunch, the principal said.

No other students were involved.

Before the incident occurred, the student was in the office waiting for his family to pick him up after receiving a “disciplinary consequence.”

A spokesperson for Fulton County Schools declined to comment Friday.

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