A recent report detailed a troubling use of restraint and seclusion on Connecticut students with disabilities who were sent to out-of-state schools.
The report by the state child advocate, a child welfare watchdog, and the advocacy group Disability Rights Connecticut called for increased oversight of the out-of-state schools.
Disability Rights Connecticut advocate Tom Cosker said many of the students live at the schools. Between 2021 and 2024, 224 students with disabilities including autism, ADD/ADHD, developmental delays and intellectual disabilities were sent from Connecticut to schools in fifteen other states, because they are unable to get services they need in their own school districts.
"On the residential side of things, we saw a number of instances of students in rooms with a dearth of furniture. A mattress on-the-floor sort of situation, and just not good living conditions," Cosker said. "Urine-covered mattresses and things like that were quite troubling."
One student, identified only as E, was allegedly left to sleep in his own urine. A witness said he was over-medicated and left to sleep all day. When he was moved to a different facility, a nurse discovered he had four deep holes in the skin near his arm pits that needed emergency medical treatment. The urine apparently contributed to the infection.
Some of the students are unable to tell their families what happened because of their disabilities.
The report singled out Shrub Oak International School in Mohegan Lake, New York.
The investigation discovered that many students at Shrub Oak experienced unexplained injuries that could be signs of abuse or neglect. During a 2024 site visit, Connecticut officials found that classroom staff provided little direct instruction to students amounting to educational neglect, staffing shortages, and students sometimes bedwetting or urinating on the floor because they were not allowed to use the bathroom. At the time, Shrub Oak also lacked a working kitchen, and fed students takeout food, leading to unusual weight gain by some students.
In a statement, Shrub Oak said because the report's observations are from the 2021-2024 school years, they do not provide a timely reflection of current operations.
"Many of the historical points referenced have been addressed by significant program enhancements and operational system improvements implemented over the last several years," Shrub Oak officials said.
Investigators found one student enrolled at Shrub Oak was subjected to multiple restraints a day and eventually removed from the school due to allegations of physical abuse.
There were small, padded rooms throughout the facility referred to as quiet rooms or green rooms. Staff put the students inside and held the door closed in an effort to to calm the young people down.
Under Connecticut law, this is considered ‘seclusion’ and could only be done in emergencies.
"In my view, any time a child is restrained or secluded, it is traumatizing," Child Advocate Christina Ghio said. "We're talking about adults physically holding children. Sometimes multiple adults."
A Connecticut law banning certain kinds of restraints does not apply to the schools, because they are in other states.
The investigation found that Shrub Oak often failed to notify parents when their children were injured, restrained, or put in seclusion. The report said Shrub Oak should have created individualized plans to calm students through less-intrusive means.
"We remain focused on our mission of providing a safe, supportive, and evolving environment for every student we serve, and as always welcome the engagement of any and all organizations interested in working collaboratively to better the lives of the children and families we serve," said Shrub Oak in a statement to Connecticut Public..
According to the report, sending the special education students out-of-state makes them more vulnerable, by taking them away from family and their existing support network.
Stamford sent 35 students out-of-state, more than any other Connecticut city or town, at a cost of more than $25-million over several years.
