A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction barring Rutherford County from enforcing a policy that allows even young children accused of minor infractions to be locked up until a hearing.
The order from U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw stemmed from a suit filed by the parents of elementary school students who were arrested following an off-campus bullying incident. The arrests of the African-American kids at the Murfreesboro school in 2016 -- some hauled off in handcuffs -- drew outrage. The suit has expanded to include other kids in the county.
In a written ruling Monday, Crenshaw said juveniles in Rutherford County were being deprived of their rights by the detention policy.
A lawyer for Rutherford County said in an email that the county would comply with the order.
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