Detroit Free Press

A small school district in central Michigan has agreed to end its practice of isolating children with disabilities in rooms in a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, according to a July 3 news release. Montcalm County Intermediate School District was one of the subjects of a 2022 Detroit Free Press investigation over restraint and seclusion tactics used on students with disabilities across the state. 

The DOJ investigation found that district staff used seclusion and restraint tactics improperly, using the tactics on students — which under state law should only be used as a last resort where a student poses a threat to themselves or others — “as punishment for normal classroom discipline issues.” In the agreement dated June 27, Montcalm officials deny that the district discriminated against students in their restraint and seclusion practices, “but wishes to avoid the costs, time-burdens, and risks of further legal proceedings.”