New York School Investigated for Using 'Child-Size Holes' Timeout Boxes

Investigation into 'Timeout Boxes'

• ⚠️ A school investigation is underway in upstate New York following allegations that staff used wooden boxes as behavioral calming measures for special needs students.
• 📌 These boxes, described by a former school board member as 'child-size holes,' were lined with padded mats and allegedly used to corral children.
• 🎯 The Salmon River School District closed its campus and placed the superintendent on administrative duties, with other staff also on leave pending the investigation.

Parent Outrage and Advocacy

• 🗣️ Chrissy Jacobs, a former Salmon River school board member, is speaking out against the alleged practices, calling the boxes 'child-size holes' to emphasize their severity.
• ✊ Jacobs learned about the boxes from a concerned community member who worked at the school and was resigning, and she has been granted permission to use the images publicly.
• 💔 She highlights decades of families being silenced by the school district and the New York State Department of Education regarding the treatment of children.

Allegations of Pressure and Dehumanization

• 🏫 According to sources, the boxes were built with one student in mind, and a behavioral specialist pressured staff to use them, along with closets or bookshelves, to control children.
• 📉 Jacobs believes these actions stem from the dehumanization of a population, leading to individuals being treated as mere statistics for funding purposes.
• 📢 The situation has garnered national attention, including the notice of New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

Call for Accountability

• ⚖️ Chrissy Jacobs hopes for accountability and a change in how children, particularly those with special needs, are treated within the school district.
• 📺 NewsNation is following the story and has requested a response from Governor Hochul.