Iowa City schools to discontinue ‘seclusion rooms’

IOWA CITY - The Iowa City school district plans to end the controversial use of seclusion rooms for agitated students after complaints from parents and a state investigation showing the rooms were used improperly in some cases.

In an email sent Tuesday night to parents, Superintendent Stephen Murley said the district has taken down seven seclusion rooms so far and would remove them all by the start of the next school year.

While such rooms - which are used in many other Iowa districts - are intended to temporarily isolate aggravated students to keep them from harming others or themselves, a Gazette investigation also found instances where the rooms were used simply to punish bad behavior.

A state investigation in June found that while the Iowa City school district handled most of 455 reviewed seclusion incidents properly, 18 reports showed students placed in seclusion for minor infractions that weren't a safety risk, 30 reports had missing information and three reports showed kids were put in seclusion for more than 50 minutes without getting permission from a parent or administrator.

Murley wrote this week the district 'is committed to discontinuing the use of temporary seclusion rooms (sometimes referred to in the general public as ‘isolation boxes')” by the start of the 2018-2019 school year in mid-August. The message indicates the district intends to go farther than a task force recommendation in June to keep the rooms where necessary, but to make their use less frequent.

Murley said the district would provide updates as progress is made, including 'working with parents, students, and staff.”

The ACLU of Iowa and six Iowa attorneys filed a petition in June asking the Iowa Department of Education to revise rules for secluding and restraining students. This was sparked by complaints from parents, including some in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.

The ACLU petition, drafted by Mary Richard, a Coralville attorney, asks the Department of Education to revise Chapter 103 of Iowa Administrative Code so seclusion rooms are used only in emergency situations 'when a child's behavior poses an immediate threat of serious bodily injury to the child or others” - and not as discipline or punishment.

The state has until Nov. 27 to respond to the complaint from Richard, the other lawyers and the ACLU.

l Comments: (319) 339-3157; erin.jordan@thegazette.com