PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — The parents of a Florida high school student say in a lawsuit that the local sheriff's office "improperly detained" their daughter when she threatened to "jump off a bridge."
The Pensacola News Journal reports the Tate High School girl texted the threat to a friend in February 2017. The friend was alarmed and notified the school resource officer. That led to the 14-year-old girl being taken to a psychiatric ward for an involuntary hold under Florida's Baker Act.
Her parents claim in the federal lawsuit filed April 23 that she was being "overly dramatic" and endured emotional distress when she was taken from school in handcuffs.
The lawsuit names the Escambia County Sheriff's Office and Deputy Pamela Whitlock as defendants.
The sheriff's office said it doesn't comment on pending litigation