Reaction pours in after woman accuses Warren Co. school of restraining her son with autism
Warren County Schools on Tuesday responded to a mother’s claims that her son with autism was restrained and put in a closet.
Asha Crews said her 6-year-old son, Sincere, was placed in a “restraint chair” inside a broom closet at Mariam Boyd Elementary. Crews said the closet has no air conditioning and had mold.
Crews said she gave the school a chance to make things right but went to social media after the school district took too long.
“I gave them a chance to fix the issue, and they did not,” she said. “Nobody reached out and apologized; nobody did anything. All they did was suspend the teacher and assistant. That’s not good enough for my child.”
Public Policy Director for Disability Rights NC Corye Dunn said parents have a right to know if their child is being secluded, adding that anytime a school resorts to seclusion or restraint, it may be an indication that a child’s behavioral needs are not being met.
“If you say, ‘I’d like to know whether my child had any experiences of seclusion or restraint,’ then in most cases, schools will provide that information,” she said. “You can request a written incident report.”
Crews said she didn’t know how long Sincere was in the closet but believes it was an extended period.
“He had to be in there for a while because he was hot and sweaty,” she said.
Dunn said unless it’s part of a student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP), schools shouldn’t use seclusion and restraint because they can be traumatizing for the child.
“Typically, when a child has behaviors that are concerning for the school, they would have a functional behavioral analysis, and they may even bring in a behavioral expert to help craft a plan for certain behaviors,” she said. “In any case, when used for an extended period, you would expect to see a report,"
Warren Co. Schools responds to Crews' claims
WRAL News reached out to the school district on Tuesday about the claims Crews made on Monday and on social media.
According to the school district, the chair was a Rifton Activity Chair, and the school uses the device to provide adaptive seating for varying levels of special needs.
The school district says Mariam Boy Elementary has five Rifton Chairs.
When asked if the district has rooms set aside for students, a spokesperson for Warren County Schools said the school district does not have or need seclusion rooms.
“We offer various calming areas in open areas of the schools where students can go if they need time to themselves, to calm down or to regulate themselves,” the spokesperson said. “Students are never secluded [and] must be supervised at all times.”
The district told WRAL News the teacher Crews accused of putting Sincere in the chair inside the closet was contracted out and not an employee with Warren County Schools. According to the duties of the State Board of Education
“It is not uncommon for schools to use agencies for hard-to-fill positions. The teacher was the only one provided by CareStaff Partners,” the spokesperson said.
Crews said the district told her the district suspended the teacher's contract, but Dunn said situations like Sincere's can be avoided if both parties have good communication and consider a new approach.
“It's really important that there be an open line of communication between parents and educators,” she said. “it's probably a good idea to dust off that IEP, dust off the behavioral plan, and maybe consider whether a functional behavioral analysis or engaging a behavioral expert would be appropriate so that you can make a plan that really responds to the child's needs.”
How to complain about your child's treatment at school
Different students can have different grievance processes available to them.
Students enrolled in special education — with individualized education programs — can file state-level complaints or due process
For all students, school boards also have varying — but likely similar — grievance procedures for a variety of issues spelled out in their policies.
In Wake County schools, for example, parents can file a written grievance against any final administrative decision at a school, if they believe the decision violated laws, policies or state rules. The parent can appeal to the school’s principal, then the system superintendent, and then to the school board. Parents can also file “non-grievance” complaints against a final administrative decision at a school, even if they believe decision doesn’t violate laws, policies or state rules. The parent can submit a non-grievance complaint to the principal, then to the superintendent, and then to the school board.
