The Quiet Rooms — ProPublica

Children are being locked away, alone and terrified, in schools across Illinois. Often, it’s against the law.

by Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , and Jodi S. Cohen and Lakeidra Chavis , ProPublica Illinois, Nov. 19, 2019, 5 a.m. CST

A new bill will ban school workers from locking children in seclusion spaces and limit most uses of isolated timeout and physical restraint. A ProPublica and Chicago Tribune investigation found widespread abuse of the practices in Illinois.

by Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , and Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica, May 30, 2021, 2:03 p.m. EDT

After a ProPublica Illinois and Chicago Tribune investigation sparked a statewide ban on some forms of seclusion and restraint of students, a small group of schools lobbied against the measure. And it worked.

by Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica Illinois, and Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , April 6, 2020, 6 a.m. EDT

The state board of education stopped short of a complete ban on seclusion after a small number of special education schools asked for more leeway in dealing with students.

by Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , and Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica Illinois, Feb. 18, 2020, 7 p.m. CST

In six of eight districts investigators examined, they found that workers broke the law by improperly secluding students. Parents say the investigations, which were prompted by a Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois story, have not gone far enough.

by Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , and Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica Illinois, Feb. 14, 2020, 5 a.m. CST

Four states currently ban the practice of secluding students at school. Illinois lawmakers want Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to make it 50. “This shouldn’t be controversial,” said U.S. Rep. Sean Casten.

by Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica Illinois, and Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , Jan. 15, 2020, 2:05 p.m. CST

Educators who testified before Illinois lawmakers on Tuesday agreed: Shutting students inside closet-sized rooms as punishment is never OK.

by Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica Illinois, and Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , Jan. 7, 2020, 8:30 p.m. CST

The changes to a ban on restraints came after some schools said they could no longer serve children.

by Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , and Jodi S. Cohen and Lakeidra Chavis , ProPublica Illinois, Dec. 4, 2019, 6:40 p.m. CST

The state board of education said it will refer school workers to law enforcement if they are suspected of committing crimes against children as the emergency ban on seclusion in Illinois public schools goes into effect.

by Lakeidra Chavis , Jennifer Smith Richards and Jodi S. Cohen , Nov. 22, 2019, 9:04 p.m. CST

Gov. J.B. Pritzker called the practice of secluding children “appalling” and said he will work with legislators to end it.

by Jennifer Smith Richards , Jodi S. Cohen , Lakeidra Chavis and Dan Petrella , Nov. 20, 2019, 3:15 p.m. CST

by Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , and Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica ,

by Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica and Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune ,

by Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , and Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica ,

by Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , and Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica Illinois ,

by Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica Illinois, and Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune ,

Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , and Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica Illinois ,

by Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , and Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica Illinois ,

by Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , and Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica ,

by Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , and Jodi S. Cohen and Lakeidra Chavis , ProPublica Illinois ,

by Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , and Haru Coryne , Jodi S. Cohen and Lakeidra Chavis , ProPublica Illinois ,

by Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica Illinois, and Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune ,

by Jodi S. Cohen , Jennifer Smith Richards and Lakeidra Chavis ,

by Lakeidra Chavis and Jodi S. Cohen , ProPublica Illinois, and Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune ,

by Jennifer Smith Richards , Chicago Tribune , and Haru Coryne , Jodi S. Cohen and Lakeidra Chavis , ProPublica Illinois ,

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