Photos wooden A box allegedly used to “time out” students at Akwesasne Elementary School sparked shock and anger among parents this week and prompted the school district to investigate.
Akwesasne Mohawk Territory, located near Cornwall, Ontario, straddles the borders of Ontario, Quebec and New York. St. Regis Mohawk School is a kindergarten through 5th grade school on the American side and one of four schools in the Salmon River Central School District.
Chrissy Jacobs, an Akwesasne resident and former Salmon River Central School District board member, posted the photos on Facebook Monday after they were sent to her by a teacher who recently retired from the school.
A statement posted on the school district's social media Monday and attributed to Superintendent Stanley Harper said the box shown in the photos was not used at St. Regis School and that the district had previously decided not to use that particular device.
Jacobs said four parents spoke at a community meeting Tuesday night and said their children “identified the box and said they were put in it.” Jacobs said they contacted police.
The St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Service said the case is pending and could not provide any further comment.
While some parents were shocked, others say the school has a long history of mistreatment and are demanding action be taken to improve conditions for their children.
Timeout window
A statement posted on social media Monday said the school district allows timeouts to be used in two situations: when the situation raises immediate concerns about someone's physical safety, or in conjunction with a behavioral intervention plan “designed to teach and reinforce alternative appropriate behavior options.”
“Any space used for time-out, and the circumstances leading to its use, must meet strict legal and regulatory requirements,” the statement said.
Thomas Hathaway, a parent on the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation in Akwesasne, said his partially nonverbal son Connor, 8, was placed in a box.
The box was in his son's classroom. Hathaway said he heard the box was built for an autistic student in Connor's class.
He said his son told him that children who are angry or sad go to the box when they need to “calm down.”
“[My son] he had to watch his friend being put there and it hurt him more than being there,” he said.
He said his son, who is usually “gentle and calm,” has become more fussy this year, which Hathaway believes is a result of seeing the used box.
The Council apologizes and begins an investigation.
Early Thursday, the Salmon River Central School District Board of Education notified parents that it would be moving to remote learning for the rest of the week.
In an emailed statement, the Board of Education said it is aware of allegations from parents regarding restraint and seclusion in the form of wooden boxes used as “calm down stations” in area schools.
The statement said the district has launched an independent investigation and is cooperating with New York State Department of Education (NYSDE) Investigation. The statement said NYSDE officials will conduct monitoring visits to the sites this week to confirm the removal of “all boxes.”
Jacobs said she learned the district could use two more boxes at other schools. In a statement to CBC Indigenous, the school district did not specify how many boxes it used.
Harper has been reassigned to domestic duties, the statement said. pending investigation and district decision. Special education director Allen Gravell, St. Regis Mohawk principal Alison Benedict and teacher Carrie Haverstock have been placed on administrative leave.
Harper and Benedict did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
“The Board of Education sincerely apologizes to our students, families and community members who have been deeply impacted by the ongoing situation,” board President Jason Brockway said in a statement.
“We recognize the pain, anxiety and suffering caused by these events and sincerely regret the harm and trauma they have caused our community.”
The statement admitted The incident “reopened historical wounds and trauma associated with the abuse of Indigenous children.”
Community organizes
Jacobs said many parents of Indian boarding and day school survivors, as well as children or grandchildren of survivors, were moved to see the photographs.
“This building says 'St. Regis Iroquois School' on it, but there's nothing Iroquois about this place,” Jacobs told CBC Indigenous.
“The only reason we send our kids there is because it’s a school on the American side of the reserve. This is what we have.”
At a community meeting Tuesday and a district school board meeting Wednesday night, several parents said complaints of abuse of their children over the years were dismissed or ignored by staff and school officials.
Parents said that school officials threatened to alert child protective services when they asked to remove a child from school or were unwilling to enforce disciplinary measures against a child when they seemed too harsh.
“I was an active member of the school board and pulled my kids out and homeschooled them during the school year,” Jacobs said.
“I was disgusted and couldn’t send them. And they tried to harass me through social services.”
She said parents also fear consequences when they speak out, such as jeopardizing their jobs if they have to take time off if their child is expelled.
“Trust has been undermined”
On Wednesday night, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council, the community's government on the American side, asked the school board in a letter to vote no confidence in the superintendent and conduct an independent investigation.
“We do not take this lightly,” the letter said.
“It is clear that what happened should never have happened and our children deserve better from those responsible for their care, especially district leadership and key decision makers… This problem cannot be solved with the continued involvement of current district leadership. Trust in the community has been damaged.”
