Atlanta Black Star The parents of a Black middle school student who was repeatedly physically restrained and handcuffed by school police for misbehavior related to his disabilities have won out after a precedent-setting five-year legal battle with the local school...
Restraint & Seclusion
COPAA Applauds Bipartisan Introduction of the Keeping All Students Safe Act
In response to the introduction of the Keeping All Students Safe Act H.R. 6617/S. 3448 (KASSA) in the U.S. Congress, COPAA CEO Denise Marshall issued a statement endorsing the bill and reiterating COPAA’s deep commitment to ensuring that “no child is subjected to...
NY: NY schools say students restrained, put in time out over 20,000 times
Times Union More than 3,600 New York public school students were physically restrained or isolated in “timeouts” in at least 20,000 incidents last year, including some cases that violated state regulations. That’s according to the New York State Education Department,...
PA: Concerns grow over restraints for Pa. students with disabilities
NBC10 Philadelphia Holton says she didn’t know the full extent of what happened in the classroom until she got a call from the school district in the spring. “The Special Ed supervisor called me and said that he was restrained 3,193 times,” she said, her voice...
NC: Wake County schools see rise in student restraint cases
Raleigh News & Observer The Wake County school system has seen a 38% increase in how often students are being physically restrained or locked alone in rooms by school employees. Data presented Tuesday show 1,802 acts of restraint or seclusion were reported to the...
LA: La. schools must update disability policies under new law
nola.com Starting this year, Louisiana school districts must install cameras in all special-education classrooms and make changes to their special education policies, under a new state law that puts additional safeguards in place for students with disabilities. Under...
MI: Montcalm County Intermediate School District to end student seclusion
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...
PA: 5 Central Bucks School District staff members in Doylestown, Pennsylvania fired after investigation into alleged abuse
ABC7 Chicago A Pennsylvania school board voted Wednesday night to terminate five of its staff members after an investigation uncovered alleged abuse inside a special education classroom. In April, Central Bucks School District Superintendent Steven Yanni was placed on...
ME: ‘It broke him, and it broke me’: Maine parents, educators describe trauma from restraint and seclusion
Yahoo.com Krystal Emerson never imagined her son would spend his days at school being forcibly moved against his will by school staff and shut in an empty room. But during the 2023-24 school year at Ellsworth Elementary-Middle School, that’s what happened — at least...
