FORT COVINGTON, New York (WWNY) – Educators in the Salmon River Central School District have been placed on administrative leave, and the superintendent has been reassigned amid allegations that special needs students were restrained in wooden boxes at school.
In addition, the district has shifted to remote learning for Friday.
“The Salmon River Central School District Board of Education has launched an investigation into the conduct of school administrators following allegations of student mistreatment in the district,” the board stated.
The board said it’s in response to allegations that students were restrained and secluded inside wooden boxes used as “calming stations.”
Officials said a law firm is conducting the investigation. The board said it’s also cooperating with the state Department of Education’s probe.
After learning about the allegations, the board said it “reassigned Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stanley Harper to home duties pending the full investigation. Salmon River Director of Special Education Allen Gravell, St. Regis Mohawk School Principal Alison Benedict and elementary school teacher Karrie Haverstock were placed on administrative leave by the district until further notice.”
It concluded: “Out of an abundance of caution for student and staff safety, classes at Salmon River schools shifted to remote learning for Dec. 18 and 19 to allow time for the investigation to begin.”
The news on Thursday came after more than a hundred community members gathered at the Salmon River High School Cafeteria to address the school board.
It was the first meeting since a Facebook post, showing a wooden box, began circulating. Parents claimed the box, with padding on the floor and a door, was to de-escalate the behavior of special needs students.
Parents say it’s just the beginning of exposing longstanding questionable actions.
“I’ve always seen the wave come, the outrage come, but it’s never crested to wash this all out,” said Chrissy Onientatahse Jacobs, the woman who posted pictures of the box on Facebook.
One parent who spoke at the meeting claimed his nonverbal special needs son was put in the box.
“He explained to us that if you are angry, or if you are sad, this is where you go when it’s time to calm down,” said the parent.
Some questions were answered when a concerned community member stood at the podium, asking for transparency.
“I would like to poll the question to each and every one of you. How long have you known about this being in use?”
Much of the board said they had only learned about it a couple of days ago, but Superintendent Dr. Stanley Harper said he had known for three weeks. He said the boxes were designed by the director of special education.
He confirmed there were three boxes: two at Salmon River Elementary and one at St. Regis Mohawk Elementary.
“Where is the box, by the way,” a community member asked.
“Disassembled. I’ve had them all removed,” Harper replied.
Parents have heard reports of staff instructing teachers to put children in the box and sit on a chair in front of it. They say it’s been going on for months.
“Other children in the school, including my children, said there’s times you can hear the children screaming from that area of the school all day,” said Jacobs.
7 News has obtained a letter from the State Education Department’s Office of Special Education, which contacted the district about the use of the boxes.
According to the Office of Special Education, restraint and seclusion are prohibited by state regulations.
“The district is hereby directed, on behalf of the Commissioner, to immediately cease the use of restraint and seclusion, including wooden boxes. The district is further directed to remove these boxes from any buildings utilized for instructional purposes,” the letter states.
(See the full letter from the Office of Special Education at the bottom of this article.)
The box at St. Regis Mohawk School, in particular, struck a nerve among members of the Mohawk community. There’s a long history of Indigenous children being abused and neglected in residential schools.
“It’s really important that they know that we, as a community, are strong, and we’ve shut down these schools before. The elders were talking about how they put chains on the doors. We aren’t messing around. We can do it again. History repeats itself,” said Dr Sarah Konwahahawi Herne.
Police say they are continuing to investigate. 7 News has reached out to the district multiple times over the last several days and has not heard back.
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