Alert - Bill Permits Locking Students in Isolation

Submitted by Todd Hash on Fri, 02/05/2010 - 2:08pm.
in

Legislation may be heard in the House Education K-12 Subcommittee onWednesday, February 10th at 10am that would allow Special Educationstudents to be locked alone in a room.  This would undo two years ofwork that outlawed locking students with Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD,and other disabilities in isolation rooms.

If your legislator sits on this subcommittee we are asking you tomake a call or send an email opposing House Bill 2538 by Tuesday.  Alist of subcommittee members and bill sponsors, the areas they serveand their contact information is below.  When contacting yourlegislators please be respectful and let them know you live in their district.

Key Points

  • This bill would make it legal to lock a special education student – of any age or diagnosis – in isolation at risk to their health and safety
  • Contradicts health and safety codes that prohibit locking students in an educational facility without a way out
  • A child could be locked in an isolation room without parental notification
  • There is no requirement in the bill that locked isolation only be used in an emergency situations
  • With a locked door, a student is trapped with no mechanism to call for help if they are forgotten – even for a minute or two – by school personnel
  • Places all special education students at risk of locked isolation

For more information contact the Coalition at news@tndisability.org

Bill Sponsors and Districts

Click a legislator's name to get their email and phone number

Rep. Glen Casada - parts of Williamson County

Sen. Jack Johnson - Williamson and parts of Davidson - Senate Bill 2517

K-12 Subcommitee and Districts

Les Winningham, Chair - Clay, Jackson, Picket, Scott, and Anderson*

Ron Loller, Vice Chair - Shelby*

Judy Barker - Obion, Lake, and Dyer*

Tommie Brown - Hamilton*

Bill Dunn - Knox*

Beth Harwell - Davidson*

David Hawk - Unicoi, Greene*

Joey Hensley - Lawrence, Lewis, Wayne*

Ulysses Jones - Shelby*

Mark Maddox - Weakly, Carroll*

Johnnie Turner - Shelby*

Terri Lynn Weaver - DeKalb, Smith, Macon