Restraint and Seclusion in Minnesota Schools
There is increased scrutiny of the use of restraint and seclusion in our nation’s public schools. National and local media outlets have reported children being injured or even killed as a result of being restrained or secluded in school.1 Advocacy organizations for people with disabilities, including the federally-established Protection and Advocacy (P & A) organizations, have reported that children with disabilities have been inappropriately restrained and secluded in schools and have called for further attention to the restraint and seclusion of children in schools.
Dr. Joseph Ryan, professor of education in the Eugene T. Moore School of Education at Clemson University leads a discussion on the importance of policies protecting students from inappropriate use of seclusion and restraint. The panel includes Dr. Reece Peterson of the University of Nebraska; Daniel Stewart, an attorney with the Minnesota Disability Law Center; and Bill Lichtenstein, the parent of an abused child.