The Post-StandardOswego County BOCES closes time-out rooms after mother's complaintPublished: Wednesday, June 22, 2011, 4:11 PM · Updated: Thursday, June 23, 2011, 6:41 AM
By Debra J. Groom / The Post-Standard
The inside of the time-out room at the Oswego County BOCES site in Fulton. Fulton PoliceFulton, NY -- Oswego County BOCES permanently has closed all of its time-out rooms following a mother’s complaint to the state Education Department.
The rooms have been used for children who become disruptive and could hurt themselves or others. The mother complained her daughter was in a timeout room she believes was dangerous at the BOCES site at the Fulton Education Center.
Superintendent Joseph Camerino said BOCES officials are working on a new policy on how to deal with disruptive students. The time-out rooms at the Mexico BOCES campus and the Fulton Education Center BOCES site were used for such students.
BOCES had planned to close the rooms anyway, because of the upcoming construction project, Camerino said.
James DeLorenzo, state coordinator for special education for the state Education Department, said BOCES also is beginning extensive training for all staff on “behavioral interventions.”
“BOCES has been very cooperative and very receptive,” he said. “Our staff at the regional office has put a lot of effort into this and met many times with BOCES officials."
Wendi Starusnak, of Phoenix, complained to the state Education Department after she was called to the BOCES site in Fulton to pick up her daughter, Jenna Lewis, 9, who had been placed in the time-out room.
She believes bruises found on her daughter’s body were the result of thrashing about in the 3-by-4 foot room, which she said had hard walls and floors and dangerous protruding objects on the walls.
“Closing them permanently is a very good idea,” Starusnak said. “I’m pleased that no more children will be subjected to hours and hours in those rooms. That was my goal.”
A state Education Department representative reviewed the room in May and in June.
Starusnak provided a copy of a report she said she received from the state Education Department, dated June 14. In it the department’s regional associate Karen Howard says “the Oswego BOCES failed to follow regulations pertaining to the use of time out rooms. .¤.¤. In addition, Oswego BOCES used space that was not in compliance with regulatory requirements and failed to provide adequate training to staff on the use of time out rooms.”
The report says BOCES violated regulations by using emergency interventions for regular behavioral problems and failed to provide appropriate training in safe and effective restraint procedures to staff.
During its review, the state Education Department found BOCES did not provide a way for teachers to see or hear the student in the time-out room. The officials also said the room at the Fulton Education Center was too small for a student to move about and recline comfortably, contained potentially dangerous objects and fixtures — such as small protruding pipes — and lacked adequate lighting, floor and wall coverings.
Wednesday, a state spokesman would not immediately confirm the report Starusnak provided is from the state Education Department. The spokesman did confirm Howard works for the department.
Starusnak said she had no problem when her daughter, who has special needs, was placed in the time-out at her former school, Michael Maroun Elementary in the Phoenix school district.
That room was “the size of a small office and it was padded with gym mats and was well lit. The door had a window. The assistant principal would sit in the room with Jenna with a pillow in her lap so Jenna couldn’t injure her.”
Jenna began classes at BOCES’ Fulton Site on Fourth Street March 9 after officials at Maroun said she needed more help. A week later, Starusnak said she found bruises on Jenna’s body.
Jenna is now home-schooled and doing well, her mother said.
Contact Debra J. Groom at dgroom@syracuse.com, 470-3254 or 251-5586.© 2010 Syracuse Online LLC.