A school district in New York built wooden “timeout” boxes for disciplinary purposes, and school authorities placed a special-needs student in one of the boxes for disciplinary reasons. There has been a tremendous outcry over the use of these boxes. Let’s take a look.
What’s the Situation?
The Salmon River School District used wooden boxes to confine children as a “timeout” disciplinary measure. There were three boxes total: two at Salmon River Elementary, one at St. Regis Mohawk School (the latter reportedly never used). The St. Regis Mohawk School is a public elementary school located on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation in Akwesasne, New York. It is part of the Salmon River Central School District.
These boxes were windowless, crate-like enclosures located in elementary classrooms. There was padding inside, and a door. Their use sparked outrage and led to multiple investigations. Moreover, school authorities use the boxes to discipline children, including an eight‑year‑old non‑verbal autistic student.
Superintendent Stanley Harper first denied using the boxes, then admitted they were used for timeout discipline and ordered their removal. The St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council condemned the boxes as “inhumane”, citing historical trauma from Indigenous residential schools:
“Members of that community said at the meeting the timeout boxes are a painful reminder of the trauma suffered by their relatives at Native American residential and day schools, some of which allegedly inflicted horrific abuse on their students.”
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) ordered the district to stop using seclusion and launched a site visit.
Is this a Common Discipline Method?
The available reporting provides no evidence that other school districts use the wooden “timeout boxes.” Also, based on the available reporting, the “timeout boxes” used in the Salmon River school incident are not based on any recognized behavioral science, educational best practice, or evidence‑based intervention. They appear to have been improvised, unregulated seclusion devices that contradict established guidelines for safe behavioral support. The state of New York bans seclusion and is auditing the district’s practices because of these boxes.
The Catholic View
Jesus consistently welcomed children. He never pushed them away. When the disciples tried to restrict access, Jesus corrected them:
Matthew 19:14 – “but Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
His instinct was always inclusion, not separation. Isolation as punishment runs against that position.
I question the reasoning behind using these boxes. The pandemic isolation shaped how children experienced separation. Throwing them into a dark, and windowless box would only cause more fear and anxiety for these kids. Hopefully, the New York State authorities in charge of the investigation identify those responsible and take appropriate action to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
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Peace
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