Some students ‘inhumanely’ locked in NY school’s ‘cell’ as punishment, official says
Several parents were appalled after hearing about a kindergartener and other elementary students being “inhumanely” locked inside an “isolation cell” as punishment at a school in western New York, according to a letter written by a school administrator.
“I have been fighting all year to keep children out of the isolation cell,” wrote Jay Hall, the assistant director of elementary programming at the Silver Creek Central School District, in a letter to school board members and provided to McClatchy News.
He said this punishment is illegal and has occurred without parental consent at Silver Creek Elementary School.
Hall wrote he’s “argued and pleaded” with the school principal, guidance counselor and others “to immediately cease the use of, and planned future use of, the foreboding, cold, cinder block jail like cell” at Silver Creek Elementary in the March 28 letter, which is five pages.
An investigation into the allegations, including additional accusations of one teacher physically abusing a second grade girl, has begun at the school located in Silver Creek, the district wrote March 30 on Facebook. The investigation is being conducted by a third party.
“Children as young as five years old are being blockaded and locked in the isolation cell, kicking the door, pounding on glass with their fists, banging their heads, crying profusely, pleading to be freed, all with complicit staff members standing by and watching,” Hall wrote.
Hall said he told the district superintendent about the isolation cell on March 18.
McClatchy News has reached out to district Superintendent Todd Crandall for comment. Crandall has denied the use of an isolation cell to WKBW.
A group of upset parents met with each other the evening of March 31 after reading Hall’s letter, Spectrum News 1 reported.
One parent who claimed his 5-year-old son was locked in the isolation cell told the outlet that “he’s really terrified to go to school.”
Hall wrote how an original isolation room was located in the same room where his office is and “contained exposed electrical outlets, wiring, a closet full of items, and a razor blade like mechanism under the folding bed.”
He claimed there’s now a new one and some students were locked in there most recently on March 21 and 22.
“I am now being directed by my superior to leave my office to work at the table in the copy room so the said perpetrators can lock children in the newly renovated isolation cell without me present to witness and report,” Hall wrote.
Photos of the small room with cinder block walls were shared by a WKBW reporter on March 31.
One second grade boy at the elementary school “has been placed in the isolation cell on several occasions in the past as a form of behavior modification,” according to Hall. He said this student has a “history of classroom discipline referrals and school suspensions.”
He wrote the student reported “he was ‘blocked in by furniture’ and ‘one time never got a lunch’ on one occasion last school year” while inside the room. Hall added that the student’s parents “have never given consent” for their son to get put inside the room “as a behavioral consequence” and were unaware it occurred.
Additionally, Hall wrote that a few weeks ago, the boy “jumped out of his first-floor classroom window during a one-on-one closed-door de-escalation/confrontation with his teacher.”
One mother told WKBW that her son, who attends the elementary school, jumped out of a window “to avoid being sent into the room,” the outlet reported.
Another parent told Spectrum News 1 that “we have to have them admit the truth,” about the school.
Hall believes that there are other possible students not mentioned in his letter that have been locked in the room.
McClatchy News has reached out to the New York State Education Department for comment.
The department issued the following statement to Spectrum News 1:
“We take all allegations of misconduct against educators extremely seriously. In order to protect the fairness and integrity of our processes, the Department does not confirm or deny the existence of investigations. Part 83 of the Commissioner’s Regulations authorizes the Education Department to investigate allegations of lack of good moral character lodged against certified educators. An educator facing charges in accordance with Part 83 is afforded the opportunity for a full due process hearing. At issue when the Department initiates a Part 83 proceeding is whether the certified educator has the ‘good moral character’ to retain the certificate they hold.”
This story was originally published April 1, 2022 at 3:05 PM with the headline "Some students ‘inhumanely’ locked in NY school’s ‘cell’ as punishment, official says."
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