Restraint by staff not trained

[RenVee]

PA - my son was put in a restraint (it was a safety escort) by two staff at school. I had a meeting with the IEP team to debrief and I was told that the protocol was followed. I had no concerns at the time.

I found out later that the one staff involved was not trained in the procedure and was fired. Was the school not required to disclose that to me?

[Lisa Lightner]

Yes, you absolutely should have been informed—especially since restraint or a “safety escort” was used and a staff member involved was untrained.

Here is the statute: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/education/resources/policies-acts-and-laws/basic-education-circulars-becs/pa-code/use-of-restraints-for-students-with-disabilities.html

While they may not be legally required to tell you someone was fired (since that’s a personnel matter), the fact that an untrained person participated in a physical restraint or escort should have been disclosed—because that’s not just an HR issue, that’s a violation of procedure and could pose a safety risk to your child.

I'd suggest putting your concerns in writing and asking the school to:

• Clarify who is trained and certified in crisis intervention or restraint protocols;

• Explain how an untrained person was allowed to participate;

• Detail what corrective actions have been taken to prevent this in the future.

You can also file a state complaint with the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education, especially if they failed to follow state guidelines on restraint reporting.