LETTER: Stop student seclusion and restraint immediately
Editor’s note: The following letter was sent to the Harwood Unified Union School Board and shared with Waterbury Roundabout.
Dear School Board,
I heard Brian Dalla Mura’s public comment [to the HUUSD School Board] on 4/13 with dismay. I didn’t even know that kids were brought to the ground with their hands behind their backs, or that they were put in a small windowless room alone. All in elementary school no less!
As a member of the Waterbury Area Anti Racism Coalition Education Team, I was part of a meeting where Brian was an invited speaker, and in that context, I was able to learn more about the practices of seclusion and restraint.
I am convinced of the following with respect to the most dangerous methods of behavior regulation – prone/supine restraint and total seclusion: These practices are dangerous, both physically and emotionally, for the victim of the practice. They are also emotionally dangerous for witnesses to the practice.
These practices are not appropriate, almost ever
If used at all, these practices will likely impact students of color disproportionately more. We already know that implicit bias is a fact, and allowing this kind of high-stakes practice in that context is a great example of what we mean by systemic racism.
If used at all, these practices will likely impact students with disabilities disproportionately more.
Please take this issue up at the board level and put a stop to the most dangerous methods of seclusion and restraint immediately.
I encourage you to learn more and would support a more thorough review of our district's seclusion and restraint policy – as well as related discipline policies. It's possible you may find some arguments for why these dangerous methods should be used, although even if you do, I argue that they do NOT align with our community values.
But at the very least, please, please put a stop to the most dangerous measures of behavior regulation practices NOW while you come up with a long-term solution.
Thank you for your consideration.
Maureen McCracken
Waterbury
Maureen McCracken is a former member of the HUUSD School Board.