Interim Superintendent Theresa McGuinness has released a heavily redacted investigative report that details a Nov. 20 student restraint crisis at the Glover School and how educators violated policies. She also announced plans for the district to retrain all staff on proper restraints and procedures.
When asked by the Current on March 25 about the fate of the four educators involved in the restraint and placed on leave in December, McGuinness replied, “As stated prior, the district is taking employment-related appropriate action consistent with the law with regard to the staff members.” She did not specify what that action is.
The 54-page report by Comprehensive Investigations and Consulting includes interviews with several staff involved in the student restraint incident. It also describes surveillance videos of the event.
According to the CIC report, a Glover student at recess complained of feeling cold, and a staff member brought him inside to find warmer clothing in the lost-and-found area. The student then asked to go to the nurse.
Shortly after, the staff person noticed the student chatting with other kids at the nurse’s office and tried to redirect him back outside, using “verbal prompts.” That employee became worried that the boy may try to “bolt out of the building.” At that point, staff trained in Safety-Care techniques were called in. Safety-Care training is conducted by the firm Quality Behavioral Solutions.
Staff used a blue mat to contain the student and prevent him from hurting himself or anyone else or smashing into a glass case, according to the report.
Then, staff used what’s called a “reverse transport,” where two people place their hands under the student’s arms and walk him backwards.
The boy was taken into a “break space” and the door was closed.
“Staff noticed that (the student) was coughing, opened the door and offered him water. He continued to cough after drinking some water and threw up,” according to the report. It goes on to say that an employee went to the nurse’s office to get the student something, which he was able to use “independently.”
Report conclusions
The CIC report had several conclusions, including the following:
Staff used a mat as a “mechanical restraint” to encircle the student and limit his freedom of movement, violating state regulations.
“The technique used by staff is not included in the methods they learned during Safety-Care training,” the report said.
The staff did have a right to restrain the child to protect him from hurting himself and others, but the mat is not an approved method of restraint.
The report also said staff improperly transported the student to the break space because they continued to drag him briefly after he fell twice.
“On both occasions, they should have stopped the transport and attempted to de-escalate Student A. Instead, they dragged him along the ground,” the report reads.
All of the staff involved in the incident, except one, were Safety-Care certified.
Report recommendations
The CIC report makes several recommendations, at least one of which is redacted. They include:
- QBS Safety-Care trained staff must be familiarized and act in accordance with all state laws and regulations.
- All trainers and trainees must be made familiar with existing Marblehead policies. Newly trained personnel will receive a mid-year review of de-escalation and restraint practices.
- De-briefs must happen after all restraint incidents.
In her email, McGuinness said many of the recommended steps, as well as others, are underway and will be reviewed in June.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.