WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the statement below following the release of a new report issued by the State of Connecticut’s Office of the Child Advocate on the use of seclusion and restraint practices in Connecticut schools.

“Today’s report shows that Connecticut has made progress - but not enough - in its efforts to reduce the use of harmful seclusion and restraint in schools. There is still a lot of work to do to make sure these practices are never used in ways that hurt kids and inhibit their ability to succeed at school. Rather than being forced to rely on flawed methods to try and change a child’s behavior, teachers should have access to support services and resources that can help them respond to challenging situations in a supportive and safe manner. I plan on introducing legislation this year that will allow teachers and administrators to develop alternatives to this indefensible treatment of our kids, and I look forward to working with educators and advocates in Connecticut on this bill.”

According to the Office of the Child Advocate’s report, titled “The Use of Seclusion and Restraint in CT Schools: A Call To Action”, there is no research to support the use of seclusion and restraint practices on children in schools, and that the use of such techniques can be physically and emotionally detrimental to students. In fact, the Connecticut State Department of Education reported that in the last three years, there have been more than 1,313 incidents of a child getting injured during a restraint or seclusion intervention. In order to address these issues, the Office of the Child Advocate recommends that, among training and quality oversight programs, legislation be enacted to protect all children from unnecessary restraint and seclusion.

Murphy’s Keeping All Students Safe Act, which he introduced in the Senate last year, would help schools establish a safe and engaging learning culture for teachers and students alike by encouraging the implementation of proven positive behavioral interventions and prohibiting the use of seclusion and restraint procedures in schools, except in cases of immediate danger of serious physical harm to self or others. The legislation would particularly help students with disabilities who are disproportionately subject to such disciplinary practices.