Can a School Lock Your Child in a Room? There's No Federal Law That Says They Can't.

A second grader was locked in a room for refusing to go to music class. Another student was secluded for three and a half hours for drawing on a chair. A third grader hit himself in the face with a shoe until he bled, and staff left him in the room for another hour.

Not a time-out corner. Not a quiet space with a beanbag and some calming music. A room with a locked door, alone, until staff decided the crisis was over.

This happened at the Special School District of St. Louis County, Missouri. The U.S. Department of Justice documented it this week in a letter to the district, along with nearly 4,000 seclusion incidents and more than 770 physical restraints across six schools over two school years.

This is not a St. Louis story.

How common is seclusion and restraint in schools?

Federal data from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection shows about 105,700 students were physically restrained, mechanically restrained, or placed in seclusion. Students with disabilities made up 14% of enrollment but accounted for 76% of those physically restrained and 68% of those secluded. Black students, who represented 15% of K-12 enrollment, accounted for 26% of those physically restrained. The pattern is consistent and it has been consistent for years.

Those numbers are almost certainly low. A 2020 GAO review found the Department of Education's quality control processes for restraint and seclusion data were "largely ineffective or do not exist." In the data the GAO examined, 70% of districts reported zero incidents. One district had reported an average of 71 restraint incidents per student per year, and nobody flagged it. When schools are not required to tell you seclusion rooms exist, the numbers you see are the ones schools want you to see.

The disproportionality in St. Louis was not subtle. The school where supine restraints were used most heavily serves students from Hazelwood, Ferguson-Florissant, Riverview Gardens, and Jennings, all in north St. Louis County. Predominantly Black communities. The DOJ found the district used restraint and seclusion not in genuine emergencies, but in response to non-compliance with school rules, verbal conduct, and behaviors that posed no safety threat.

Cursing. Drawing on a chair. Refusing to go to class.

Is seclusion in schools legal?

The Department of Education's own guidance says restraint or seclusion should never be used except when a student poses imminent danger of serious physical harm to themselves or others. But that guidance is not a federal law. There is no federal law governing restraint and seclusion in schools.

The Department of Justice has authority to investigate discriminatory use of seclusion and restraint under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is how it got involved in St. Louis. But Title II is a civil rights law, not a seclusion law. It gives the DOJ standing when a district's practices are so disproportionately applied to students with disabilities that they amount to discrimination. It does not set a floor for how any student must be treated. A district can lock a non-disabled child in a room for refusing to go to music class and the DOJ has no hook.

There is a bill in Congress, the Keeping All Students Safe Act, reintroduced in December 2025 with bipartisan support, that would ban seclusion in federally funded schools and require parent notification after every incident. It has been introduced before. It has never passed. Most states have some form of law or regulation on the books, but the specifics vary so much that the word "regulated" barely means anything. Some states ban seclusion entirely. Others allow it with no meaningful limits. Some require same-day parent notification. Others require nothing.

What parents of children with IEPs can do right now

You do not have to wait for Congress. If your child has an IEP, you have more leverage than you might think.

Start by asking your district directly:

• Does this school have seclusion rooms? What do they look like and where are they?

• What is the district's written policy on restraint and seclusion?

• How many restraint and seclusion incidents occurred at my child's school last year? (In most states, you can request this through a public records request.)

• Will you notify me the same day if my child is ever restrained or secluded?

At your child's next IEP meeting, you can request a Behavioral Intervention Plan that specifies positive behavioral supports and de-escalation strategies, and ask for language in the IEP that limits restraint or seclusion to genuine emergencies and requires immediate parent notification. If your child has already been restrained or secluded, request the written incident report and ask for an IEP meeting to review what happened. You can also contact your state's Protection and Advocacy organization, which provides free legal support for people with disabilities.

An incident of restraint or seclusion is not a sign that your child is a difficult case. It is evidence that the current plan is not working.

What the St. Louis case tells us about the bigger problem

The Special School District of St. Louis County delayed the DOJ's document requests, denied investigators access to schools while students and staff were present, and tried to limit interviews to remote only. This was not a district caught off guard by a rogue school. This was a district that knew what it was doing and made the DOJ fight for every piece of evidence. (Source: St. Louis Public Radio)

That is one district. In one county. Where someone happened to look.

Most districts, nobody looks.

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Frequently asked questions about seclusion and restraint in schools

What is seclusion in schools?

Seclusion is the involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room or area that the student is not free to leave. It is different from a voluntary calm-down space. Seclusion rooms are typically small, bare, and locked or held shut by staff. The U.S. Department of Education's guidance states that seclusion should never be used except when a student's behavior poses imminent danger of serious physical harm to themselves or others.

Is there a federal law against seclusion and restraint in schools?

No. There is no federal law governing the use of seclusion or restraint in public schools. The Department of Education has issued guidance recommending that these practices be used only in genuine emergencies, but that guidance does not have the force of law. The Keeping All Students Safe Act, which would ban seclusion in federally funded schools, was reintroduced in Congress in December 2025 but has not passed.

Why is the Department of Justice involved if there is no federal seclusion law?

The DOJ investigates seclusion and restraint under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits public entities including schools from discriminating against people with disabilities. When a district uses seclusion and restraint in ways that are disproportionately applied to students with disabilities, that can constitute discrimination under the ADA. The DOJ's authority is limited to discriminatory use, however. There is no federal law that protects all students from seclusion regardless of disability status.

What are my rights if my child was restrained or secluded at school?

If your child has an IEP, you have the right to request the written incident report documenting what happened. You can request an IEP meeting at any time to review the incident and revise your child's Behavioral Intervention Plan. If you believe the school violated state law or district policy, you can file a complaint with your state's Department of Education. Every state also has a Protection and Advocacy organization that provides free legal support for people with disabilities.

Can I put language in my child's IEP to prevent seclusion or restraint?

Yes. Parents can request that the IEP include specific language limiting the use of restraint or seclusion to genuine emergencies and requiring immediate parent notification if either is used. You can also request a Behavioral Intervention Plan that emphasizes positive behavioral supports and de-escalation strategies as alternatives.

Which students are most affected by seclusion and restraint?

Students with disabilities are disproportionately affected. According to federal data from the 2021-22 school year, students with disabilities served under IDEA made up 14% of public school enrollment but accounted for 76% of students physically restrained and 68% of students secluded. Black students represented 15% of K-12 enrollment but accounted for 26% of students physically restrained.

How do I find out if my child's school uses seclusion rooms?

Schools are not always required to proactively disclose whether seclusion rooms exist. You can ask your district's special education director directly. You can also submit a public records request asking for the number of restraint and seclusion incidents at your child's school. The rules for what must be disclosed vary by state.