In Loudon County, Virginia, 13-year-old Gigi Daniel-Zagorites lives with Phelan-McDermid syndrome, “a disorder that hampers her ability to speak.” In her middle school, one day in September, a fellow classmate took a picture of Gigi being “secluded”. Someone, teachers presumably, took a bookcase and a cabinet and built an enclosure in the corner of the classroom. Gigi was dumped in there, and two adults stood, or sat, guard. In the picture, Gigi is trying to get out or at least see over the barricades. Months later, her mother, Alexa Zagorites, is still asking questions and still getting no answers. Gigi Daniel-Zagorites and her mother are objects of the national pogrom against children living with disabilities. Like so many others, both Gigi and her mother refuse to be or become the victims that national policy intends for them.
Earlier this month, the New Hampshire Disability Rights Center released a report concerning the abusive seclusion and restraint of a 14-year-old child, called Zach, at the Sununu Youth Services Center. First, Zach was dumped into seclusion which led to two staff members throwing Zach to the ground and “restraining” him face down there. The staff fractured the child’s shoulder blade. Despite New Hampshire law, the restraint and, even more, the injury was not reported for two months. Months later, the Sununu Center continues to withhold information. New Hampshire has “restraint and seclusion” laws, but they all rely on the staff to self-report. The levels of violence form a network of threads of immediate, intimate violence and those of structural violence, all held together by the violence and suffering of family, friends, and community.
Similar stories have been recently reported in Indiana, Iowa, Florida, and Arizona, to name a few from only the last month or so. Across the country, children in school learn that living with a disability is a crime. It must be a crime, otherwise why would the adult staff members be punishing them so?
Last month, U.S. Department of Education released a report on school climate and safety for 2015 – 2016. It found that Iowa rates had just about doubled. For example, in 2013, 23 school districts in eastern Iowa had 2514 reported instances of seclusion or restraint. In 2015, that number rose to 4,904. A recent Iowa State report describes Davenport as in “systemic non-compliance” of Federal laws concerning the education of students living with disabilities. According to the report, the situation for students of color in Davenport is particularly dire, systemically so. Both of Iowa’s U.S. Senators are calling for a Federal investigation into the use of seclusion rooms. Davenport’s U.S. Representative Dave Loebsack has called for a ban on seclusion rooms.
The report on school climate and safety merely confirmed what we already know. In a nutshell, students living with disabilities constituted 12% of all students enrolled. 12 percent. That very small sector of students living with disabilities constituted 71% of all students restrained and 66% of all students “secluded.”
What crime have these children committed? What is their terrible sin? Why do we continue to send these children into solitary confinement? Why do we continue to torture those who are most vulnerable? When will we stop this practice? What do you think we’re teaching children, all the children in all the schools, when we torture their classmates and then call it “seclusion” and “restraint”?
(Infographic Credit: U.S. Department of Education)
Accurate seclusion data key to thoughtful public debate http://www.thegazette.com/subject/opinion/staff-editorial/accurate-seclusion-data-key-to-thoughtful-public-debate-20180609
Physical restraint use rising in Kentucky schools; spiking at JCPS https://insiderlouisville.com/education-community/physical-restraint-use-rising-in-kentucky-schools-spiking-at-jcps/
Parent speaks out against the use of isolation rooms in public schools in Davenport http://wqad.com/2018/06/12/parent-speaks-out-against-the-use-of-isolation-rooms-in-public-schools-in-davenport/
Grassley wants answers about seclusion room use in Iowa http://wqad.com/2018/06/13/grassley-wants-answers-about-seclusion-room-use-in-iowa/
Seclusion in Schools: Mother says her son was forgotten http://www.valleynewslive.com/content/news/Seclusion-in-Schools–485720201.html
Socastee High special needs student assaulted, educators negligent, suit says https://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/news/local/article219431565.html
Mom says daughter with autism was forced into closet at school http://www.khou.com/article/news/local/mom-says-daughter-with-autism-was-forced-into-closet-at-school/285-600653349
Mom says teachers forced young daughter with autism into closet https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mom-says-teachers-forced-young-daughter-with-autism-into-closet/
District sued over alleged special education student mistreatment at Socastee High School https://www.myhorrynews.com/news/education/district-sued-over-alleged-special-education-student-mistreatment-at-socastee/article_cb273a78-d93c-11e8-a81f-9358bdb69e21.html
Democrats Seek to Sharply Curtail Restraint, Seclusion of Students http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2018/11/democrats-special-education-restrain-seclusion-legislation.html
Padded room for timeouts at school is like ‘a jail.’ District is rethinking policy. https://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2018/11/use_of_padded_jail_room_at_nj_school_to_be_reviewe.html
Danbury area school update restraint, seclusion practices https://www.newmilfordspectrum.com/news/article/Danbury-area-school-update-restraint-seclusion-13408749.php
Thirteen-year-old activist with autism wants to close seclusion rooms at schools https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/thirteen-year-old-activist-autism-wants-close-seclusion-rooms-schools-n935356
Special ed not so special, parent group says https://www.abqjournal.com/1250179/special-ed-not-so-special-parent-group-says.html
13-year-old with autism urges lawmakers to pass legislation ending ‘seclusion rooms’ in schools https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/418142-13-year-old-with-autism-urges-lawmakers-to-pass-legislation
Restraint, seclusion policy among Special Education Ad Hoc Committee recommendations https://www.loudountimes.com/news/restraint-seclusion-policy-among-special-education-ad-hoc-committee-recommendations/article_06fa7b04-f1b7-11e8-af33-5fe42e6b1bde.html
Democratic Bill Aims to Put Brakes on Restraint and Seclusion Practices https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2018/11/28/democratic-bill-aims-to-put-brakes-on.html
When a classroom becomes a prison https://www.thehour.com/opinion/article/Editorial-When-a-classroom-becomes-a-prison-13425854.php
Seclusion in schools could end thanks to congress https://www.valleynewslive.com/content/news/Congress-aims-to-end-seclusion-in-schools-501687322.html
Rock Springs couple sues school over student’s treatment https://www.gillettenewsrecord.com/news/wyoming/article_6eefa3a2-f08c-5af3-afdf-9a4b18ffb620.html
Palm City mom says teacher’s aide hurt her son https://www.wflx.com/2018/12/05/palm-city-mom-says-teacher-aide-hurt-her-son/
Loudoun County School Board moves forward in considering seclusion, restraint policy https://www.loudountimes.com/news/loudoun-county-school-board-moves-forward-in-considering-seclusion-restraint/article_393161fa-023d-11e9-baca-c3614ba12f5e.html
Trump Administration Rescinds Guidance Amid Objections From Disability Advocates https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2019/01/07/trump-rescinds-guidance-advocates/25841/
‘It’s Barbaric.’ Lawmakers Probe Restraint and Seclusion Ahead of Legislation http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2019/02/restraint-and-seclusion-house-education-committee-hearing-barbaric.html
[…] in and Beyond reported that school systems in several states, including Virginia, New Hampshire, and Iowa, have been […]
‘Seclusion room’ rules could change discipline in Iowa classrooms https://www.kcci.com/article/education-officials-proposing-new-rules-on-seclusion-rooms/26667184
An effort to reduce the use of seclusion rooms in Iowa schools raises questions among educators https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2019/03/05/iowa-education-officials-consider-changing-seclusion-room-practices/3064521002/
New Data Shows Widespread Use of Seclusion, Restraint In Private Virginia Schools https://ideastations.org/radio/news/new-data-shows-widespread-use-seclusion-restraint-private-virginia-schools
Family speaks out on Davenport’s treatment of child with special needs https://wqad.com/2019/05/16/family-speaks-out-on-davenports-treatment-of-child-with-special-needs/
Desperation And Broken Trust When Schools Restrain Students Or Lock Them In Rooms https://www.npr.org/2019/06/05/726519409/desperation-and-broken-trust-when-schools-restrain-students-or-lock-them-in-room
Governor signs ‘Gigi’s Law,’ legislation sparked by alarming photo in Loudoun middle school classroom https://www.loudountimes.com/news/education/governor-signs-gigi-s-law-legislation-sparked-by-alarming-photo/article_4e0c7b18-8baf-11e9-93bd-17616b6cd14d.html
Iowa boys school’s use of restraints, seclusion could devastate students’ psyches, doctors testify https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2019/06/13/iowa-state-boys-training-school-trial-solitary-confinement-restraints-disability-rights-iowa-eldora/1445801001/
Montgomery County among school systems with highest rate of isolating students https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2019/06/school-system-with-high-rates-of-isolating-misbehaving-students/
The public may not know the extent to which FL schools are restraining and secluding students https://www.floridaphoenix.com/blog/the-public-may-not-know-the-extent-to-which-fl-schools-are-restraining-and-secluding-students/
School seclusion underreported in Iowa, other states, report shows – https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/school-seclusion-iowa-school-districts-underreporting-20190701
New Virginia Law Bans ‘Unsafe’ Seclusion And Restraint In Schools, But Does Not Define ‘Unsafe’ https://wamu.org/story/19/07/02/new-virginia-law-bans-unsafe-seclusion-and-restraint-in-schools-but-does-not-define-unsafe/
Why I made an app to document the seclusion and restraint of special education students http://theconversation.com/why-i-made-an-app-to-document-the-seclusion-and-restraint-of-special-education-students-118431
Students of color with disabilities are being pushed into the school-to-prison pipeline, study finds http://www.abajournal.com/web/article/report-finds-more-discipline-are-at-the-intersection-of-race-and-disability
Va. Board of Ed. in final stages of regulating restraint, isolation of students https://www.wavy.com/news/education/va-board-of-ed-in-final-stages-of-regulating-restraint-isolation-of-students/
Iowa State Board of Education votes down changing seclusion room rules https://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Iowa-State-Board-of-Education-votes-down-changing-seclusion-room-rules-513515701.html
Iowa Dept. of Education hosts public hearings on proposed seclusion room rules in schools https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/iowa-dept-of-education-hosts-public-hearings-on-proposed-seclusion-room-rules-in-schools