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Investigations Deepen Into Wooden ‘Timeout’ Boxes at Salmon River Schools

The case is unfolding in a Native‑majority community where seclusion is illegal in public schools.

Overview

  • The school board hired an independent law firm, placed the special-education director, a principal, and a teacher on leave, and reassigned Superintendent Stanley Harper to home duties.
  • District officials acknowledged three wooden enclosures were built at two elementary schools and removed them, while parents allege students, including children with disabilities, were put inside.
  • New York State Education Department officials ordered monitoring and site visits to verify removal and to ensure compliant alternatives, and the district held a remote learning day out of caution.
  • St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police opened an investigation, and the Tribal Council said it had lost confidence in district leadership and called for accountability.
  • Board President Jason Brockway issued a public apology as community members described renewed trauma tied to the legacy of U.S. Indian residential schools.