Children in Confinement: Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid Releases School Seclusion Report

On February 11, 2026, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid released a report on child confinement in Minnesota schools. The comprehensive report, produced using the federal monitoring and investigative authority of the organization’s Minnesota Disability Law Center, presents detailed findings and photos of what seclusion in schools looks like and the implications of those findings. A press conference was held to coincide with the report’s release at the Minnesota State Capital.

Seclusion is the involuntary confinement of a child with disabilities alone in any room or area of a public school building and Minnesota law permits a school district to register seclusion rooms and isolate children with disabilities in these rooms during an emergency.  Under law, seclusion rooms are only to be used for students in grades 4-12 and schools must have a public plan, notify parents, and apply seclusion only in emergencies and by trained and licensed staff. Seclusion is not to be used for disciplinary actions.

Attorneys with the protection and advocacy team visited 80 of the 194 registered seclusion rooms in Minnesota. They discovered that most seclusion rooms have beige, cinderblock walls and are non-carpeted with concrete slab floors. They are not calming, sensory spaces, but rather bare and restrictive. While most were in compliance with state requirements, others were not ventilated or adequately heated, were dimly lit, and some had objects that could cause injury. In its executive summary, the report also indicates the use of seclusion is dependent upon school culture. 40% of all seclusion rooms in the state are located in just four school districts.

Jessica Heiser, supervising attorney with the Minnesota Disability Law Center, said “We know seclusion is disproportionately used against children of color, especially young boys with disabilities. Eleven states already ban seclusion, including states like Georgia and Alabama. It’s time for Minnesota to join that list.” Read more about the report’s findings and advocacy efforts in Legal Aid lawyers warn against school seclusion rooms for Minnesota’s youngest learners.