The family of a young Pasadena student is outraged after they say the girl was forced by a school security guard to wear duct tape on her mouth.
Parents of 11-year-old Noemi Hurtado, a Blair Middle School student, say a security officer at the school forced her to put duct tape on her mouth because she spoke too loudly during recess. According to the family, the incident happened on Monday.
Ricardo Hurtado, the girl’s father, alleged the security officer demanded his daughter walk to the principal’s office with her mouth taped shut.
“I guess she walked it all the way – humiliated her – from the middle school, walking through it, to the high school walking through it, all the way to her next classroom and still had the nerve to state to the teacher that she shouldn’t take off the tape because she has a hard time being quiet,” Ricardo said.
The allegation was reported to the Pasadena Police Department, but no files have been charged as of Friday.
In a statement, the Pasadena Unified School District said it’s been made aware of the incident. It also said the security officer involved in the matter, whose name has not been released, was no longer employed by the district.
“We take concerns like this very seriously and are cooperating fully with the Pasadena Police Department,” the district’s statement read. “We are committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for our students.”
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