Mandate Cameras in Special Education Classrooms - NY

In my school district, when one of us came forward to share that our non-verbal, autistic 13-year-old child was restrained (placed into a physical hold) 33 times over two months before the administration disclosed any of this information, we were horrified.

And then it got worse. Other parents of special needs children spoke up about traumatic experiences they’d rather forget. They shared stories that included staff secluding young children in a bathroom, throwing a young child into a wall, and strangling a young child. All of these children have autism – most were non or minimally-verbal. Sadly, these stories aren’t unique to our district.

We are a group of New York parents who support legislation to protect disabled children at school. We are concerned about the safety of our children, and have grown our Facebook group to over 330 members in just two months. Parents who have joined this group have shared their experiences, which are both terrifying and heartbreaking. You can read their stories in our public Facebook group: Keep All Students Safe - NY, or on the website we have created to support our educational and advocacy efforts: keepallstudentssafe.org.

We value our teachers, and we trust them with our children. But no institution is perfect. No person is perfect. Cameras in special education classrooms where students are non- or minimally-verbal prevent abuse, facilitate reporting, and clarify investigations. They can even protect staff from unjust accusations. Three states (Texas, West Virginia and Louisiana) have already passed such legislation, and bills exist in several other states. It’s time for New York to be a leader in keeping all children safe at school.