Oswego County BOCES closes time-out rooms after... complaint

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The Post-Standard
Oswego County BOCES closes time-out rooms after mother's complaint

Published: 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 Police

Fulton, 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 [email protected], 470-3254 or 251-5586.


© 2010 Syracuse Online LLC.

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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.

See also extracts from a similar article, "Policies needed for 'time-out' rooms ? parent" (by Marilyn Moysa; June 1, 1993; Edmonton Journal):

A mother has pulled her seven-year old son out of a South Side school after finding the boy isolated in a room the size of a small closet.

Roberta Hooymans discovered her son in a cubicle slightly bigger than one square metre [10.8 sq.ft.] when she arrived at Meyonohk elementary to pick him up for lunch...[/list][/size]
Both of these kids (ages 7, 9) were placed in what was essentially a very small closet. Probably too small for even a janitorial closet.

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Comments left for the above article, "Oswego County BOCES closes time-out rooms after mother's complaint" (by Debra J. Groom; June 22, 2011; The Post-Standard), #s 1-20:


America's Most Deleted · June 22, 2011 at 4:25PM

Anything short of hitting them is just a joke. Get rid of them so others may learn.

annieoakly · June 23, 2011 at 1:16PM

These people are much more intelligent in many ways than those that are typical. Wall Street hires these types of people because of their extra ordinary perceptions and abilities. To those that slander those with intellectual diisabilities your aren't intellectually smart like they are or you would have these types of jobs.

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stinkitup · June 22, 2011 at 4:35PM

Sounds like the time out room is the janitors closet.

udontnofacts · June 22, 2011 at 4:38PM

"BOCES had planned to close the rooms anyway, because of the upcoming construction project, Camerino said." What a liar. You continue to treat special needs children like second class citizens. You send them to school buildings deemed no good for other students. Those "cells" have existed out at the BOCES campus since the 80's. Admit it, YOU GOT CAUGHT ABUSING CHILDREN! Be glad you weren't arrested, you should have been. An education is for all students, not just the convienent ones.

meatballsoup · June 22, 2011 at 5:44PM

My father had a great way of getting me to settle down when I was being disruptive at home. Maybe they should consult with him.

skipper68 · June 22, 2011 at 5:46PM

Instead of a professional councilor or social worker ,they used the assistant principle!?! How bad was that child? As far as the kids that don't want to learn-send them home and take away the social service programs. No food stamps, EIC-any $$ till the kids in school and acting acceptable. Hit the parents in the pocket-then they will care.

bright observor · June 23, 2011 at 7:08AM

bad enough that the assistant principal had to sit with a pillow to fend off attacks from the child.
There has been a longterm bout with judicial and administrative insanity, causing otherwise rational adults to believe that these types of children can be successfully mainstreamed. but the result can be a disruption of the educational process. So the entire class suffers for the sake of pursuing a myth.
(My kid sister teaches special ed in another state. She works with children with IQs of 40-50, and tries to teach them Algebra and Chemistry, while they participate in regular classes. It is just plain stupid to believe such a child can learn those things. But the law requires them to be mainstreamed.

KillYourTV · June 23, 2011 at 12:44PM

Speaking of "just plain stupid"... at least you're not alone with imbiciles like nydiver and stevelagaurd on your side.

annieoakly · June 23, 2011 at 1:11PM

Skipper, every hear the cliche "Ignorance is bliss" What this means is that you live a life thinking your right because of your own ignorance. But when others read what you have written it proves your ignorance.

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MikeH00777 · June 22, 2011 at 6:09PM

How about kicking those students out of the school system?

Ask ANY teacher and they will tell you; there is a very small group of kids in every school who is not raised with respect or who are taught the value of education.

This small group of kids ruins the learning experience for the kids who do want to learn. Why are schools forced to put up with these kids and the parents who raise them?

Kick the kids out of school plain and simple.

mouthy · June 22, 2011 at 8:18PM

The previous article claimed there were pipes sticking out, yet they weren't shown in the pic?

greengeek1 · June 22, 2011 at 11:53PM

They might have been pipe stubs that were exposed, but small and painted wall color, so they might be hard to see at low resolutions and at distance.

greengeek1 · June 23, 2011 at 10:15PM

One of the pipes is right next to the door edge in the picture. I think it's a hot tap water pipe for a sink, as it is on the right.

mouthy · June 24, 2011 at 5:18AM

Obviously, a perilous situation the taxpayer put that child in. What were they thinking? Someone should pay!

dave · June 24, 2011 at 6:29AM

if the parents didn't raise brats they wouldn't be in them rooms, let the parents keep them in their own time out rooms, (TIME-OUT AND 123'S ARE NOT WORKING PEOPLE). the fear of god didn't hurt my geration !

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Anonymous · June 23, 2011 at 3:06AM

These are special Education students with mental and behavior problems. Does Oswego County Boces not have a behavior management team? Professionals who have behavior intervention strategies! These children under New York State special Education laws are well protected, there not going anywhere let's educate these people on how to deal with these students.

professorrr · June 23, 2011 at 7:32AM

Typical parent who looks to blame everyone else for their childs issues instead of themselves.

mrdiablo · June 23, 2011 at 7:40AM

Time outs are a good idea, but these rooms?! You have got to be kidding?! An assistant principal sitting in the room?! There is an example of someone whose job can be cut! I am sick of kids being coddled for their behavior and called "special needs", but those kids with special needs do need help, and the state is not bothering to do the job properly. I feel for this mom and notice that she is home schooling. My wife stayed at home to raise our babies and it was a financial burden, but it paid off with well mannered kids who know their parents love them. I wish this mom the best. Her daughter is far better off at home where she can get the love and attention she needs. Maybe there is someone who knows of a program that can help this mom to give her a break once in a while and help her out? My children attend a small rural school south of Syracuse. There have been students in this school who have had boxes built around their desks as they are so disruptive to the class. One teacher who screams at the class told me she has to scream to keep a few students in line. One girl needed three aides a day to watch over her constantly and could not participate in any class activities and needed to be by herself in a room all day. Students were sent to speech therapy even if they didn't need it to keep the teacher. Yet the part time position for the teaching of gifted students was cut. The cost of special needs is going to send our taxes higher with no benefit for the majority of students. BOCES?? Over-dressed suits from BOCES came to a local school to assess the districts needs. Many visits later, nothing was done and the school was told there was no money for much needed changes. So no $$ for the schools, but apparently enough money for administrative BOCES salaries and expense accounts. Another example of NY's out of control spending.

sweet-n-savory · June 23, 2011 at 9:22AM

Why is it a problem that the assistant principal sat with a student. Maybe he had delt with her before and thought he could calm her better than others. Maybe there were other situations occuring at the same time and he was the only one available to help. As long as the child was removed from the classroom, who cares who watched over her. I agree those rooms are bad and need padding and a weighted blanket, and a mat to sit on, but "safe" areas are necessary to remove students to who are a danger to themselves or others. I'm sorry she was hurt, but regarless, she was thrashing around, which means she may have gotton bruises no matter where she was. I'm sure BOCES is not allowed to do a "hold" so there are not many other options. Young kids are very impulsive and they can go from 0-60 in 3 seconds. If you have never had to deal with this situations first hand it's hard to imagine how quickly they escalate and how angry kids can become. I commend anyone who does this work on a daily basis because it's not easy.

stevelaguard · June 23, 2011 at 9:51AM

Why don't you learn how to control your kid at home. Teachers these days are just glorified babysitters, at least in NY. Once the bleeding hearts got control of the Education system, it went downhill from there. Not many alternatives these days, especially in NY. The kids can literally do whatever they want, aside from assaulting someone in the classroom. But that is also allowed until someone comes and breaks it up. Verbal abuse is rampant in schools. They will never return to the way they used to be, and learning will continue to suffer. Please don't believe those little "polls" and fake statistics that show improvement within the schools. I am sure we are all smart enough to use our common sense that they are awful.

© 2010 Syracuse Online LLC.

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Comments left for the above article, "Oswego County BOCES closes time-out rooms after mother's complaint" (by Debra J. Groom; June 22, 2011; The Post-Standard), #s 21-33:


syrpsue · June 23, 2011 at 9:53AM

What happened to sending the kid to the corner of the room? Or did they run out of corners?

blackjk007 · June 23, 2011 at 10:02AM

I think they should buy the kid a new nintendo and some doritos for punishment

blackjk007 · June 23, 2011 at 10:02AM

I smell lawsuit for tramatizing the poor child and mother

blackjk007 · June 23, 2011 at 10:05AM

we shouldn't disipline our kids that way they can go out into this world and be wonderful self centered, spoiled, pill popping,it's all about me people.

SevenOfNine · June 23, 2011 at 10:30AM

Wow. So what are they supposed to do when these kids go nuts? Can't strap them to a chair -- parents will complain. Talking to them is a moot issue -- when these kids go nuts they go beyond control. So the room shouldn't have a handle and should have padded walls and a padded floor? That sounds too much like a reward -- "Yah, I get to go play in the TimeOut room if I act up!".

The worst part of this whole story is I bet the complaining mom knows just how uncontrollable her kid can get but she complained anyways.

crzywmn10 · June 23, 2011 at 11:31AM

I have driven kids with special needs for over 20 years. There are so many different types of disabilities. Some kids are easy going and happy, some are just slow and there are others who at times can't control their anger. I have been kicked, punched, had one kid try to go out a window and when I tried to keep him inside he knocked me into my seat and hit the bus into reverse. Then as the bus was going backwards he was wrestling with my arms as I was trying to get the bus into neutral. Finally got the bus stopped and hit the door open and put him on the ground and it took 6 of us to keep this boy under control. People don't realize the strenght these kids have when they are angry.

bright observor · June 23, 2011 at 12:29PM

In 1975, in the case of Goss v. Lopez, the u.s. supreme court ruled that elementary and secondary education were a property right, and that no student in a public school could be deprived of a property right, without due process. That means attorneys, formal hearings and the attached costs. In addition federal law says a handicapped child has a right to public education to the age of 21. This approach has caused chaos in public schools, and if the students involved are minorities, it becomes even more complicated. Civil rights folks often complain that minority children (black, hispanic, but not asia) are kicked out of school at a higher rate than whites. That is offered as de facto racism.
If you people want to see the root of that bad behavior, watch an episode of hard core pawn.

annieoakly · June 23, 2011 at 1:00PM

Skipper, you rock with ignorance! Fool! Your ignorance is very unbecoming

annieoakly · June 23, 2011 at 1:06PM

Well,after years of teaching about bullying I see we have some here. Apparently those that like to bash like to bully these type of children, I wonder what kind of child their children turned out to be.
As for BOCES, timeout rooms are death sentences for these types of children, these children need positive interactions not negitive. Heres a video everyone need to watch.

http://www.wehavechoices.org/[/list]
sallyd · June 23, 2011 at 9:13PM

OMG if I did that with my son I would be in jail for child abuse!!! How on earth did they get away with this for so long? BOCES is supposed to set the standard for educating disabled children!! If this is how the "learned" people are treating are children what are the ignorant ones doing to them.

For the people who wrote so harshly about kids being main streamed: HOW DARE YOU talk about our children that way!!! My son has autism. He is considered high functioning......he needs extra help and yes he is in inclusion classes. WHY isn't my son entitled to the same education opportunities as supposedly "normal" children?

All children need the chance to be the best they can; love, intervention, special education and yes inclusion classes (when it is appropriate) can make a big difference in a handicapped child's life. They need to become independent and self-directed (to the best of their abilities) just like any other child.

God forbid any of you critics end up with an emotionally or physically handicapped child. I 'd love to see how you reacted then...these children are not throw aways!!!!!

Thank God for the mother that turnd BOCES in!!!!! We all need to monitor how the schools are dealing with our children...good ones and problem ones!!! No child should be abused and this WAS abuse.

A concerned Mom

Steve Burdick · June 23, 2011 at 9:40PM

Sallyd you are absolutely correct and I applaud you for sticking up for your child and what's right. Every child deserves equal educational opportunities. God doesn't make junk. And to you people who are bashing the kids and/or their parents, why don't you stop hiding behind fictitious names and step out into the light so people can see you for who you really are. I think Joseph Campolino should be locked in that "cell" for allowing that sort of "punishment" to occur.

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sweet-n-savory · June 24, 2011 at 12:16PM

Sallyd: Your thoughts make since, but the difference between a high-functioning autistic child and a severly emotionally disturbed child with behavioral problems are vastly different. You have to remove these children from the classroom, becasue they can be a harm to themselves and others. These mesures are meant as a way to maintain the safety of the group. That room needed to be updated, but the practice of keeping a thrashing, angry child out of a classroom is necessary.

Steve Burdick · June 24, 2011 at 4:40PM

I don't believe for an instant that Oswego County BOCES ever intended to close the rooms as part of a remodeling project. They have been using these dark "cells" to "punish" certain types of behavior in special needs kids for many years. Ignorance speaks for itself and the actions have spoken loud and clear in this case. Special needs kids do not generally make a conscious choice to have special needs, nor is it something that most parents would choose for their child. We are made kind by being kind, God doesn't make junk !! The school district administrators have an obligation, one that they are very well paid for, to ensure that all kids have the opportunity to participate and learn on a level playing field. That means a kid sometimes needs a hand extended to help him/her up the ladder and onto the stage, not shoved into a "cell" and hidden away. If we got rid of the excess administrators, and stopped "pink slipping" the good teachers and counselors, perhaps there would be less "disruption," and if not, at least it would be handled more appropriately. Too many chiefs and not enough Indians never did make any sense. I mentioned before at one of the BOCES meetings, and again in a letter to the editor about a year ago, when they were discussing privatizing the special education program that Dr. Joseph Camerino should be concentrating on cutting administration costs and preserving quality education. The number of students has dropped from 1400 to 800 over a 12 year period but the number of administrators has remained the same. Frances Lanigan, Commissioner of Oswego County Social Services and Dr. Joseph Camerino are both taking early retirement at the end of this month; perhaps, the Oswego County Legislators should throw them a huge retirement bash at taxpayers' expense!!!

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