Schools are supposed to be safe havens for students. But a Congressional report says they are doing a poor job of handling mental illness and other disabilities.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, Use of restraints on public, private school students, was published May 19 and didn’t get much press. But it shows that punishing restraints have been used on students by untrained personnel without approval of parents, and often with damaging results.

Investigators found hundreds of cases of abuse over the last decade. They noted that there are no federal laws focusing specifically on this problem, and state laws vary widely.

“Although GAO continues to receive new allegations from parents and advocacy groups, GAO could not find a single Web site, federal agency, or other entity that collects information on the use of these methods or the extent of their alleged abuse,” the report added.

Investigators cited these examples:

– A 14-year-old boy in a Texas public school, diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder was placed facedown on the floor, with the teacher on top of him, because he didn’t stay seated in class. The death was ruled a homicide, but the teacher was not indicted.

– A 4-year-old West Virginia public school girl with autism and cerebral palsy was restrained in a wooden chair with leather straps, described as resembling a miniature electric chair, for being “uncooperative.” Although the school board was found liable for negligent training and supervision, the teachers involved were not.

– A volunteer teacher’s aide at a Florida school, on probation for burglary and cocaine possession, gagged and duct-taped children for misbehaving.

– In another case: “A special education teacher at a public school was accused of using bungee cords and duct tape to fasten children as young as 5 years old to chairs designed to support kids with muscular difficulties. According to parents, their children sustained injuries such as broken arms and bloody noses while in this teacher’s class. A teacher’s aide told investigators that the woman used the restraints on a daily basis to punish the children.”

The GAO report blamed untrained staff, particularly a lack of training in working with mental illnesses and developmental disabilities.

Several states track the use of seclusion and restraint. During the 2007-2008 school year in California, there were 14,300 cases, according to the July 3 issue of Psychiatric News. In Texas, 4,202 students were restrained 18,741 times during the same school year.

The report was requested by U.S. Rep. George Miller of California. “What the GAO found is alarming and eye opening, and it is going to send shockwaves into every corner of this country, and it should,” said Miller, chair of the House Education and Labor Committee.

Nineteen states have no laws addressing the use of restraints in schools. Federal action was recommended.





