MCISD fires three staff members who allegedly secluded, restrained students
Three staff members at the Monroe County Intermediate School District's Education Center were fired and may face further consequences after it was discovered they reportedly secluded and/or restrained students inappropriately while in the classroom.
MCISD Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Legal Counsel Eric Feldman recently released a statement to The Monroe News that confirmed the staff members were terminated after an internal investigation into the allegations, which the district's administration was made aware of on Oct. 27.
"MCISD administrators immediately placed the staff members on administrative leave and began an investigation into the matter," Feldman said. "After the MCISD completed its investigation, the MCISD concluded that the three staff members engaged in misconduct and the staff members are no longer employed with the district. MCISD administrators promptly informed the parents of the impacted students of the report and the investigation's findings."
Feldman added that the MCISD is required under Michigan law to report suspected child abuse or neglect to Children's Protective Services. The district's administrators did so, and both CPS and the Monroe County Sheriff's Office are currently conducting separate investigations into the matter.
"The MCISD has been and will continue to be fully cooperative with both agencies," Feldman said.
Precious Gonzales, the mother of one of the alleged victims of the staff members' abuse and neglect, told The Monroe News that her son, who is non-verbal, was secluded inside of a locked room for 2 to 10 minutes a day over the past four to six weeks. Gonzales says that, at times, the staff members held the door shut from the outside.
"My son can't talk, and he needs as many people as he can to be his voice," Gonzales said.
Feldman said that all MCISD staff are trained annually to conform to Michigan Department of Education guidance for Key Identified Personnel (KIP) as it relates to emergency seclusion and restraint. He said the staff are expected to only use these techniques in emergency situations.
"MDE’s emergency seclusion and restraint guidance defines an emergency situation as '…a last resort emergency safety intervention involving seclusion that is necessitated by an ongoing emergency situation and that provides an opportunity for the pupil to regain self-control while maintaining the safety of the pupil and others,'" Feldman said. "MCISD holds staff to these standards and expectations, and ensures that all staff understand the requirements and obligations and provides ongoing or additional training if it is needed.
"The MCISD would like to reiterate that these allegations are taken extremely seriously," Feldman continued. "When the allegations were first stated, immediate action was taken to place all parties in question on leave, ensuring no further contact with students. At the conclusion of a thorough investigation, all employees involved were separated from the organization with no further contact with students. And above all else, it is the MCISD’s number one obligation to ensure the safety of our students and staff."
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: MCISD fires three staff members who allegedly secluded, restrained students
