Investigation prompts swift action by Illinois officials

Tuesday’s online publication of “The Quiet Rooms” prompted a swift reaction from government officials to address the misuses highlighted in the investigation.

On Wednesday, the Illinois State Board of Education filed emergency rules to prevent school workers from locking children alone in seclusion rooms. The board also vowed to take action against schools that are using timeout unlawfully.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker called secluding schoolchildren “appalling” and vowed to see that it stops.

The deputy governor also filed a complaint on behalf of the children featured in the Tribune/ProPublica investigation, which will force an official state inquiry, according to the state board.

The emergency rules from the state are intended to be in effect until legislators modify a 1999 law that allows Illinois schools to use seclusion for safety reasons.

State Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, filed a bill Thursday that would ban all seclusion in schools.

In the meantime, the emergency rules also specify that:

■ When schools use timeout rooms, a trained staff member must be inside with the child. Timeouts also can be used only for therapeutic reasons or to protect the safety of staff or children.

■ All educational entities that serve public school students must submit data to the state board on all uses of physical restraint and isolated timeout dating to the 2017-18 school year.

■ Schools must alert the state board within 48 hours of using restraint or timeout. Schools must notify parents about restraint and timeout even if the parent has agreed to waive written notices.

■ Physical restraints that impair a student’s ability to breathe, including restraints that happen on the floor, are prohibited.