Minnesota Senate Approves Expansion of School Seclusion Rooms

Table of Contents

The Brief

• Under the education bill approved by the Minnesota Senate on Thursday, schools would gain increased permission to utilize seclusion rooms.
• A legislation enacted in 2023 prohibited the use of seclusion rooms for students in third grade and younger starting September 1, 2024. However, a recent suggestion proposes permitting their usage for all students with an additional requirement: obtaining parent consent for children up to sixth grade.
• Supporters argue that it serves as an essential final measure. Critics contend that it is unproductive and frequently misused by educational institutions.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Seven months after the prohibition began on schools using seclusion rooms for young students, the Minnesota Legislature is about to allow their more widespread usage.

A personal debate

'Not great, but needed'

Following an intensely private discussion regarding the contentious behavioral management approach, the Minnesota Senate approved an educational legislation on Thursday. This new law allows schools greater flexibility in isolating students provided they obtain consent from their parents.

Isolation rooms proved to be an unfortunate necessity during her son's time at school for Senator Judy Seeberger.

He falls within the autism spectrum and struggled with managing his aggression, particularly toward authority figures such as teachers, at a later stage.

"He’s a splendid young fellow nowadays," he said. Sen. Seeberger, (DFL-Afton) And when I questioned him regarding the use of seclusion, he shook his head. He mentioned, 'You understand, it wasn’t ideal, but it had to be carried out.'

What's the issue?

Defining seclusion

According to Minnesota legislation, a seclusion room within an educational facility must measure at minimum 6 feet by 5 feet. The space needs adequate lighting and ventilation, include a window for monitoring purposes, and should be lockable externally.

"What isn’t considered seclusion is anything else, and there’s no prohibition against that," explained Matt Shaver, senior policy director for Ed Allies.

In 2023, when the legislature moved to restrict them, approximately 450 seclusion rooms were still in existence.

According to state statistics, these measures were employed approximately 4,000 times during that particular academic year, primarily for students with emotional regulation challenges due to their disabilities.

Why not?

Separated unequally

However, supporters argue that it isn’t a beneficial approach, particularly for those who are younger students.

"As we can observe from the data compiled by the state throughout many years, it’s consistently the same children appearing repeatedly," Shaver stated.

Every isolated student made an average of 10-15 visits to the space throughout the academic year.

Moreover, this intervention has been applied more frequently to Black and biracial students.

"I am deeply concerned about placing any of these young children in this scenario," he stated. Sen. Nicole Mitchell, (DFL-Woodbury) .

Mitchell likewise possesses experience working with kids who have disabilities.

She mentions that being secluded might ultimately result in more severe depression, increased loneliness, and heightened anxiety.

Supporters of alternatives suggest using sensory rooms or having supervised areas with a padded adult present as better options.

Abusive usage

Changing the law

In 2017, when FOX 9 covered the misuse of seclusion rooms, they discovered that these spaces were frequently employed as a form of discipline within schools.

"The room they put him in was like a jail cell," stated the parent whose kid had been placed in isolation.

This led to the 2023 legislative body banning seclusion rooms for children in third grade and younger.

Senator Seeberger states that her 2025 revision to the legislation mandates parental consent up until sixth grade and will not permit the use of isolation as punishment. However, it retains these rooms as a final option when all else fails.

What I'm worried about," Senator Seeberger stated, "is that staff members feel compelled to involve law enforcement whenever a student becomes aggressive and poses a risk of harm to others, which often leads to the student being taken into police custody.

What's next

Currently, the House education bill doesn’t incorporate Seeberger’s amendment, though this situation might evolve prior to the final vote.