DeVos Announces Initiative to Address Inappropriate Use of Restraint and Seclusion Regarding Children with Disabilities and to Ensure Compliance with Law (January 22, 2019)

On Thursday, January 17, 2019 U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced that the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) is launching an initiative to address the possible inappropriate use of restraint and seclusion in our nation’s schools. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR), in partnership with the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), will oversee this initiative, which aims to protect students with disabilities by providing technical assistance and support to schools, school districts, and state education agencies, while strengthening enforcement activities.

USDE’s initiative will include three components, which are: Compliance Reviews conducted by OCR focusing on recipients’ use of restraint and seclusion on children with disabilities; CRDC Data Collection; and Support for Recipients.