Wake County reports rise in students being physically restrained and secluded. Here’s why
Wake County is reporting an increase in how often school employees are physically holding down students or locking them alone in rooms — a trend the district attributes to more accurate reporting.
Data presented Tuesday shows 959 acts of restraint and seclusion were reported between July and December, an 11% increase over the same time period last school year. Administrators said they want to reduce the use of seclusion and restraint because it will foster “a safer and more supportive learning environment for all students.”
“When we know better, I think we’re going to do better,” said Paul Walker, senior director of student due process and alternative education, speaking to the school board’s student achievement committee. “My big thing is making sure we know better.”
Walker repeatedly told board members he believes the increase is due to more transparency in reporting incidents as opposed to the practice being used more. The new data comes after Wake hadn’t reported any cases of restraint and seclusion to the federal government in the 2017-18 school year.
As part of an August 2023 legal settlement, Wake agreed to change how it handles and reports cases of restraint and seclusion. In that case, Wake agreed to pay $450,000 to a family who said it wasn’t notified that their disabled elementary school child was confined in a closet more than 20 times.
When can you restrain students?
Educators can restrain students and seclude them in another room for several reasons, such as stopping a fight or preventing injury to themselves or others, according to Disability Rights NC. But the group says schools can’t use the practice solely for disciplinary reasons.
Between July and December, Wake reported 628 incidents of physical restraint, 313 incidents of seclusion and 18 incidents of mechanical restraint.
Physical restraint involves a school employee personally restricting the ability of a student to move their torso, arms, legs or head freely. Mechanical restraint can involve using devices such as handcuffs and zip ties to tie, tape down or strap a student.
Seclusion involves involuntarily confining a student alone in a room from which they’re physically prevented from leaving.
Wake is now required to report to parents within 24 hours that restraint or seclusion was used with their child.
Disproportionate use of restraint and seclusion
Only 313 of Wake’s 160,000 students accounted for all of the acts of seclusion and restraint. Elementary students, Black students and students with disabilities accounted for the majority of 959 reported incidents
“Restraint and seclusion disproportionately affect students that have a disability and it impacts students of color so misidentifying and misreporting … can lead to of course incorrect data and inappropriate interventions,” Walker said.
Wake also promoted how it’s providing de-escalation training as a way for staff to find alternatives to using restraint and seclusion.
But Wake’s efforts come at the same time it’s been criticized for how it handled abuse allegations of special-education students at East Wake High School. Wake is in the process of reorganizing its special education department.
Will Wake lose mental health grant?
Administrators said a key strategy for reducing seclusion and restraint is enhancing the district’s mental health supports. Administrators said the additional mental health support aids in student behavior management and their emotional regulation.
Wake plans to use a new federal grant that’s expected to provide $14.1 million over the next five years to boost the district’s school-based mental health programs. The grant includes funding to hire more therapists and social workers as well as money for more training and bonuses to retain mental health staff.
Wake wants to be able to provide access to free therapy services for students in every school.
But the mental health expansion could be impacted by ongoing Trump administration cuts to federal education grants and plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
“This was a grant that we were all excited for,” Stacey Wilson Norman, chief academic advancement officer, told board members. “But we don’t know what the future will hold.”
