New Curbs on Restraint, Seclusion in Schools Win Support in Legislature

A bill in Virginia’s General Assembly to restrict the seclusion and restraint of children in public schools has advanced to the floor of the state Senate.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, would require the Virginia Board of Education to adopt regulations in line with 2012 federal principles on the use of seclusion and restraint, according to the Washington Post.

The bill comes in the wake of a federal investigation into two Prince William County public schools. It concluded last year that students with emotional disabilities were too often restrained, secluded and removed from classrooms if they became disruptive.

The federal principles require that restraint or seclusion never be used except in situations involving imminent danger and after other interventions have proved ineffective, according to the Post. Mechanical or chemical restraints should be banned, and students should be visibly monitored at all times.

The principles also call for teachers to be trained in the use of effective alternatives; the use of restraint and seclusion should be subject to regular review; and parents should be notified immediately when they are used, according to the Post.