Missouri SSD Students with Disabilities Harmed by Seclusion

After the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a report on February 23 about the illegal use of secluding students with disabilities in the St. Louis Special School District (SSD), we want to educate legislators about this issue. The DOJ report includes horrific incidents of the way seclusion was used as well as the impact on those students--mentally and physically. Your own state Representative and Senator could potentially help with two bills that are currently alive in the legislature that would address and stop seclusion in Missouri for any child. These bills are:

1. HB 2304 – Sponsored by Representative Phil Oehlerking. This bill has already passed out of the Education Committee. HB 2304 gives families of students with disabilities a stronger voice on their child’s IEP team. Parents and caregivers often know their children best. This bill would require schools to get written, legally binding consent from parents before making major changes to an IEP, such as changing a student’s placement. This protection could help families who want to prevent their child from being secluded or who want their child educated in a setting where seclusion is not allowed.

2. HB 2183/Also amended to HB 2933 – Sponsored by Representative Ian Mackey
This bill has been read a second time. HB 2183 would ban the use of seclusion rooms across Missouri. This bill has ALSO been amended to House Bill 2933 (Rep. Brad Christ). This bill would directly address the problems described in the Department of Justice report. A law like this would be an important step forward in how Missouri supports and protects students with disabilities.
• Additional Information: There is a map (https://bit.ly/SandRMap) that shows reported incidents of seclusion and restraint across Missouri. School districts report this data themselves to DESE.

PLEASE NOTE: The second small paragraph is a place where you should include your own stories or concerns. We strongly encourage you to make this personal to make the campaign more effective. If you are unable to share anything, please delete that line.

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Your Message to the legislators

Dear (name and title inserted automatically),

I am writing to share concerns about a report released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on February 23rd. The report explains how the St. Louis Special School District (SSD) violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by using illegal seclusion practices on students with disabilities.

[This report matters to me because… OR I am concerned about this because…]

The report is very hard to read. It describes children being locked alone in rooms for tens or hundreds of hours. It also describes students trying to hurt themselves after or during being secluded. The DOJ documented and confirmed all incidents from their findings. Seclusion is not only a problem in one district. It happens in many school districts across Missouri.

I would like to bring your attention to two bills that address these serious issues:

1.	HB 2304 – Sponsored by Representative Phil Oehlerking
•	This bill has already passed out of the Education Committee. HB 2304 gives families of students with disabilities a stronger voice on their child’s IEP team. Parents and caregivers often know their children best. This bill would require schools to get written, legally binding consent from parents before making major changes to an IEP, such as changing a student’s placement.
•	This protection could help families who want to prevent their child from being secluded or who want their child educated in a setting where seclusion is not allowed.

2.	HB 2183  Sponsored by Representative Ian Mackey. This bill is now also amended to HB 2933 sponsored by Representative Brad Christ.
•	HB 2183 has been read a second time.
•      HB 2933 has passed out of the House Education Committee.
•	A law like this would be an important step forward in how Missouri supports and protects students with disabilities.
*Additional Information: There is a map (https://bit.ly/SandRMap) that shows reported incidents of seclusion and restraint across Missouri. School districts report this data themselves to DESE.

I encourage you to speak with your colleagues about these bills and to take the Department of Justice report seriously. Our children deserve to be safe and treated with dignity at school.

Thank you for your time and attention.