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Friday, August 15, 2008
Protecting students from harm
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
There’s an interesting story today about a lawsuit filed after a 13-year-old hanged himself while he was locked in the school’s seclusion room.
The Alpine Program in Gainesville works with students with severe behavioral or emotional disabilities. The school places students in seclusion rooms — small spaces with four concrete walls —- for a time out if they become a physical danger.
The article and lawsuit raises questions about when these seclusions should be used and for how long students should spend in one. Records show the boy twice spent more than 7 hours in the room.
The lawsuit is about more than one child. It raises important questions about how children with severe disabilities should be treated in this state. It asks what parents can expect and what schools can realistically deliver.
What does Georgia and local educators owe these children and their parents?
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