LONGVIEW, Washington (PNN) - November 29, 2012 - Government schools have been children’s prisons for a very long time, but in recent years with metal detectors and on guard pig thug cops they have gotten even more blatant.
At one elementary school in Longview, Washington, the fascist administrators have even installed a solitary confinement cell that they use to punish students, even throwing special needs children into the cell.
Ana Bate said her son saw the solitary confinement cell in use at Mint Valley Elementary School and had questions.
The school principal said the padded room is used for students who have behavioral disabilities.
Sandy Catt, spokeswoman for the school district, responded by saying, “I believe that room has served a good therapeutic purpose and there may be improvements. I think we need to look at the information that’s been gathered to determine where to go from here.”
She added that the school asked permission of the parents individually before using this room on any of the students.
Ana Bate asked, “How come they’re not providing documentation about how this ‘therapeutic booth’ is beneficial? Show me some real numbers. Show me something from the medical community that says more times than not and all the documentation that backs it up. Don’t tell me ‘well, their parents said we could do it.’”
However, according to other parents who have had previous issues with the school, their children were placed in solitary confinement without their permission.
Candace Dawson, who now lives in Marysville, Washington, has a son who attended Mint Valley Elementary three years ago.
She said the school put her child in the booth without her permission.
“He said that’s the naughty room,” said Dawson. “That’s what he called it. He said when (children) are naughty they get put in there.”
She said she had no idea the school had the isolation room until she went online and saw her son’s old school was in the news.
She asked her son about it. She said he got very uncomfortable and told her not only did he recognize the pictures of it online but his teacher forced him to spend time there.
Dawson said her son does have some behavior problems but said she would never OK the school to send her son to this room.
Many studies have shown that solitary confinement can have a severe adverse impact on the mental health of adults and there is no telling of what can happen to children who are subjected to it.
The solitary confinement room is being challenged in this particular district, but this practice is still commonplace throughout many areas in the pacific northwest.
