The Legal Aid Justice Center was part of a coalition of 40 groups from across the state representing parents, children, students, advocates for people with disabilities, child abuse prevention advocates and legal advocates applauds the Virginia General Assembly for passing legislation that will limit the harmful use of seclusion and physical restraint in schools to emergency situations. The Coalition for the Improvement of School Safety advocated in support of H.B. 1443 and S.B. 782, which passed with overwhelming support from both houses and is expected to land on the desk of Gov. Terry McAuliffe soon.

«We are proud to have joined with our partners to support this legislation, which will provide meaningful protections to Virginia students and give school staff the tools they need to prevent and address challenging behaviors,» said Angela A. Ciolfi, legal director of the JustChildren Program at Virginia’s Legal Aid Justice Center. «Physical restraint and seclusion should never be a default form of school discipline.»

Resources

Press Release (PDF)

Media Coverage

 

The Roanoke Times, «Stories of trauma in Virginia prompt crackdown on seclusion rooms»