GA: Georgia first-grader with autism suspended over sandwich incident sparks special education debate

by kids1stadvocac | Aug 4, 2026 | State

Cleveland.com A Georgia family says its 6-year-old son with autism was suspended from school after biting his sandwich into the shape of a gun and pretending to point it at another student during lunch, an incident the parents argue reflects a broader pattern of...

IA: ACLU of Iowa urges schools to get rid of School Resource Officer programs

by kids1stadvocac | Aug 4, 2026 | State

CBS2 Iowa A new report from the ACLU of Iowa says federal data shows Black students and students with disabilities are disproportionately referred to law enforcement and arrested in Iowa schools. The ACLU said about one-quarter of Iowa schools have a school resource...

MO: Special School District ends seclusion, limits restraints under new student safety policies

by kids1stadvocac | Jul 28, 2026 | Restraint & Seclusion, State

First Alert 4 The Special School District of St. Louis County is implementing new policies ahead of the upcoming school year to improve student safety and ensure that students with disabilities are treated with greater dignity in the classroom. The changes follow a...

IA: Cedar Rapids sees progress on restraints, more work ahead

by kids1stadvocac | Jun 16, 2026 | Restraint & Seclusion, State

The Gazette At a school board work session last week, the Cedar Rapids school district reported that the number of students restrained in response to aggressive behavior has dropped considerably. Between 2018 and 2021, restraints were used 4,145 times. From 2023 to...

TX: Texas’ school discipline push drives kids to ‘jail-like’ DAEP schools

by kids1stadvocac | Jun 2, 2026 | State

Hechinger Report Angela Comfort still can’t explain exactly what went wrong. Her son, Jordan, an honors student in Garland, Texas, got in trouble with school officials this February for distributing flyers on campus about a protest against Immigration and Customs...