Louisiana Illuminator

Maine students have been restrained and secluded more than 22,000 times a year in some years. But the real number of times educators put students in holds, move them against their will, and shut them alone in small rooms is likely much higher. Restraint and seclusion are widely condemned practices that create lasting trauma for students, their families, and the educators involved. That’s why every use is supposed to be documented and reported to the state. But over the past decade, only 24 out of more than 250 private schools and public districts in Maine have consistently reported their numbers. Maine law mandates annual reporting to the Maine Department of Education, however, the department did not say whether there was any penalty for failing to report.