The Cost of Challenging School Seclusion and Restraint Practices for Parents of Black and White Children with Disabilities

Recent scholarship has revealed that excessive out-of-school suspension compels some parents to remove their children from punitive schools. However, little is known about how parents respond to harmful restraint and seclusion practices, which can be especially consequential for students with disabilities. Using disability critical race theory (DisCrit) as a theoretical framework, this study examines the experiences of parents (N=50) of Black and white children who were diagnosed with cognitive, physical, and behavioral disabilities and restrained and secluded in school between one and over thirty times. The qualitative findings indicate that Black parents were more inclined to remove their children from punitive schools following harmful restraint and seclusion practices. In contrast, white parents were more inclined to hire disability and legal professionals to challenge such practices. Despite spending thousands of dollars on legal proceedings, these parents stated their efforts were hindered because (a) school officials and taxpayer-funded legal teams attempted to mislead and silence parents who chose due process, and (b) school officials retaliated against them by filing complaints to child protective services, which triggered invasive investigations that disrupted parents’ households. Collectively, the narratives shed light on the financial and social expenditures that parents contend with in their efforts to challenge school restraint and seclusion practices.