If approved by the school board, new rules could dramatically limit the use of a controversial practice of student isolation
By John-Henry Doucette
Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO
The Virginia Beach School Board may ban the use of seclusion rooms in city school buildings, a step to curtail the controversial practice of isolating troubled students in emergencies.
The board is scheduled to vote Tuesday on new policies for seclusion and restraint, a related practice. The vote comes after months of scrutiny spurred by revelations about the treatment of Josh Sikes, an 11-year-old boy with autism.
As the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO first reported, Josh died at home in November 2024, days after being placed in a makeshift seclusion area within Pembroke Elementary School. After an outburst in class, Josh was placed in a confined area constructed with furniture and straps.
His classroom was overseen by Southeastern Cooperative Educational Programs, a regional public provider of special education services in Virginia Beach and seven other Hampton Roads communities…