State education officials have asked Fulton County school system leaders to be more vigilant in alerting parents when a teacher restrains a student.
The state's Education Department sent a letter last week to the school district telling it to review and revise its policy concerning such actions and alert the state of any changes to its rules by Feb. 27. Channel 2 Action News reported first on the letter Monday.
Carole Veschi removed her son, Mikey from Hillside Elementary School in Roswell last year because teachers had been restraining Mikey, who has autism, daily without sending Veschi the legally required paperwork, she claimed. Veschi sued the school district in November.
State law requires a school to explain in writing to a parent or guardian when and why their child was restrained.
“Fulton County does not have the authority to determine what it will and what it will not comply with,” said Chris Vance, an attorney representing the family.
A Fulton school system spokeswoman said it couldn’t comment on the letter because of the ongoing litigation.
Vance said written notification of restraints is more important than verbal discussions because there are some instances where parents haven’t been told their child has been restrained. She added written notification also allows meetings between a school and the parent to discuss the student’s behavior.
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