An upstate New York school district has come under fire after photographs of wooden boxes used to isolate students emerged on social media this week.
The Salmon River Central School District, located near the Canadian border in an area serving mostly Native American students, placed its superintendent on administrative leave and launched an investigation following the discovery of the devices. Photos showing a padded wooden enclosure with bare walls spread across Facebook on Monday, posted by Chrissy Jacobs, a former school board member.
Timeout Boxes in School
District officials initially denied that the box had been used with students. However, Superintendent Stanley Harper later admitted that two additional wooden boxes had been constructed and used as “timeout” isolation areas in district schools. He stated they were in use for several weeks before being removed, according to the New York Times.
At a community meeting held Tuesday night, multiple parents came forward saying their children had been placed inside the boxes as punishment. One parent reported that his eight-year-old son, who is nonverbal and autistic, was put in the box located in his special education classroom. The child communicated to his family that a friend had also been placed in the box…