Lynchburg Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, Chief Judge Cary Payne: #JusticeforKayleb: Drop the unjust felony charge against 11 year old Kayleb Moon-Robinson!

Virginia 6th grader Kayleb Moon-Robinson has been grossly mistreated by his school district and by the juvenile justice system. 11 year old Robinson, who is on the autism spectrum, has misdemeanor charges filed against him by a police officer who worked on campus for the mere act of  kicking a trash can during a meltdown at school. When the same officer grabbed Kayleb across his chest to forcibly bring him to the principal’s office after a minor infraction, Kayleb resisted by pushing the officer away- and was slammed to the ground,  handcuffed and brought to juvenile court .

For this incident, Kayleb has been charged with a  felony: “assault against a police officer.” This felony will negatively impact Kayleb’s ability to obtain jobs, housing, and other opportunities in the future. Kayleb, a boy of small stature and glasses, was no threat to the officer and does not deserve to have his life ruined because he has a disability.
Kayleb’s mother, Stacey, is fears that if she appeals the ruling and loses, state law may require that the felony remain in court files permanently. Herself the daughter of a police officer, Stacy was horrified at what happened to her son: “Kayleb is 11. He is autistic. He doesn’t fully understand how to differentiate the roles of certain people.”

 A recent article by the Center for Public Integrity stated: “US Department of Education data analyzed by the Center for Public Integrity show that Virginia schools in a single year referred students to law enforcement agencies at a rate nearly three times the national rate. Virginia’s referral rate: about 16 for every 1,000 students, compared to a national rate of six referrals for every 1,000 students. In Virginia, some of the individual schools with highest rates of referral — in one case 228 per 1,000 — were middle schools, whose students are usually from 11 to 14 years old.”

 I am a mother, and I share Kayleb’s diagnosis as do two of my children. I have other children with disabilities as well. People with disabilities, especially if they are people of color like Kayleb and like my family, are at high risk of being a victim of injustice and/or violence at the hands of authority figures, including police. Despite the many good cops, there is a pervasive culture of discrimination and inequality in our society that manifests itself in the form of ableism/disability prejudice, racism, sexism, and more.
Kayleb could have been my son. What happened to him is wrong.

Now in an alternative school, Kayleb returns to court this June. His mother reports that he is already being ostracized by others because of this situation: “They’ve talked about how he’s a criminal, how he’s been arrested.” Kayleb deserves another chance. He should not be punished for exhibiting signs of his disability. Being black and autistic is NOT a crime.

 Please sign and share this petition widely. Together we can achieve #JusticeForKayleb!!!

Lynchburg Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, Chief Judge Cary Payne: #JusticeforKayleb: Drop the unjust felony charge against 11 year old Kayleb Moon-Robinson!