Panel receives legislative audit on seclusion and restraint; parents urge mandatory cameras and stronger oversight

BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Special Education Advisory Panel voted to receive the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s (LLA) report on seclusion, restraint and alleged mistreatment of children with disabilities in public schools and opened a wide public discussion on next steps, including pending draft legislation from disability advocates.

The audit covered academic years 2015–2022 and included some data through 2023–24. Among its matters for legislative consideration, the audit recommended that the Legislature consider: clarifying or expanding the Department of Education’s authority to monitor seclusion and restraint practices; requiring the Department to verify the accuracy of seclusion/restraint incident reporting; requiring LDOE to review seclusion/restraint and mandatory reporting policies submitted by districts; clarifying BESE authority over professional sanctions; requiring…