- Published: Tuesday, January 12, 2021 10:55 AM
PLAINFIELD – State Senator Meg Loughran Cappel (D- Shorewood) was proud that one of her first votes was to prohibit school district employees and independent contractors from disciplining children by secluding them in a locked or unlocked space.
“Studies show that isolating students as punishment does not change behavior,” said Loughran Cappel, who served on the Joliet Township High School Board, including its discipline committee. “This legislation will protect our students from the harmful mental health effects of seclusion rooms.”
Specifically, the legislation would ban all isolated seclusion practices and ban the use of physical restraints that could impair a student’s ability to breathe or speak normally. It would still allow for time outs with a trained adult in the room with an unlocked door for therapeutic reasons or to protect the safety of students and staff.