Report: Kentucky students often unnecessarily restrained

A report shows students with disabilities and students of color were most likely to be restrained and secluded in Kentucky schools in 2014-15.

Citing a report released last week by the Children’s Law Center Inc., the Lexington Herald-Leader says youth with disabilities made up 58 percent of those restrained in schools and were involved in 89.3 percent of seclusion incidents.

The report says students of color were significantly overrepresented for both restraint and seclusion incidents. They were involved in reported incidents of restraints at nearly five times the rate of their white peers.

Kentucky Department of Education data shows students were restrained 5,985 times during the 2014-15 school year. The report says restraint and seclusion of students is often unnecessary and can be harmful.