Press release: Prince William County Mother Seeks School Resource Officer Reforms After Daughter with Disability Was Violently Restrained at School
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — A Prince William County mother is calling for major reforms to School Resource Officer (SRO) practices in Prince William County Public Schools after her daughter, a student with a disability, was violently restrained, handcuffed, and arrested during a school disciplinary incident.
Represented by the Legal Aid Justice Center (LAJC), Tireese Winfield has filed petitions with both the Prince William County School Board and the Prince William County Circuit Court seeking accountability, transparency, and stronger protections for students with disabilities in school settings.
Ms. Winfield is urging the School Board to reform its School Resource Officer policies to better protect students with disabilities that impact their social, emotional, and behavioral needs. Proposed reforms include stronger disability-awareness and de-escalation training for SROs and consideration of necessary accommodations for students’ behavioral health needs.
The incident reportedly began as a school disciplinary matter involving a cell phone. Instead of using de-escalation strategies or disability-informed supports, school staff called in security personnel and a School Resource Officer (SRO). The student was chased down a hallway, forced against a wall, restrained on the ground, handcuffed, placed in leg restraints, and arrested.
Ms. Winfield alleges that her daughter’s disability-related needs were not appropriately recognized or accommodated before officers used force against her.
“My daughter went to school to learn, not to be treated like a criminal,” said Tireese Winfield. “I am speaking out because no other child with a disability should experience this kind of treatment, and no parent should have to fight this hard just to learn the truth about what happened to their child.”
She is also demanding the release of school videos related to the incident involving her daughter, saying families and the public deserve transparency about how students with disabilities are treated in schools. Although Prince William County has refused to release them to her, despite having used them in a disciplinary proceeding involving her daughter. LAJC filed a Virginia Freedom of Information Act request on Ms. Winfield’s behalf, which was denied, and petitioned the court for the videos’ release.
As part of this effort, LAJC is inviting students, parents, educators, and community members to attend a community listening session to share experiences involving School Resource Officers, school policing, physical restraint, disability-related incidents, and other interactions involving law enforcement in Prince William County schools. The listening session will take place on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM in the Central Library Community Room at the Prince William County Central Library at 8601 Mathis Avenue, Manassas, VA 20110–5270.
Information gathered through the listening session will help support ongoing advocacy efforts aimed at reforming School Resource Officer policies and improving protections for students with disabilities.
“The concerns raised by this case extend far beyond a single family,” said Hank Bostwick, Senior Attorney with the Legal Aid Justice Center. “Students with disabilities deserve safety, dignity, and support in schools—not criminalization. Families deserve transparency, accountability, and meaningful reforms that prioritize de-escalation and student well-being.”
Online forms where community members can learn more and share their experiences are available HERE
