Fresno Mom Files Claim Over Girl's School 'Cage'

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- The mother of a special education student has filed a legal claim -- the precursor to a lawsuit -- against her daughter's former teacher for allegedly putting the child in a gated enclosure that the mother said amounted to a cage.

Ledelldra Brooks told The Fresno Bee she found her 7-year-old daughter wearing a dirty diaper inside the pen made from a toddler gate and a crib gate attached to bookshelves when she showed up unannounced at Fresno's Viking Elementary School in May.

Brooks called the police, who dismantled the unit.

Viking Elementary Principal Christie Yang told officers the secured area was installed about three years ago as a safety precaution.

Fresno Unified School District spokeswoman Micheline Golden told The Bee she could not comment on a pending legal case.