Parents sue Fairfax County Schools alleging students with disabilities experience discrimination

FAIRFAX, Va. - Parents and disability rights groups are suing the Fairfax County Public School System alleging students with disabilities experience discrimination, trauma and physical harm.

According to a lawsuit filed Tuesday, the parents accuse the school system of using the practices to "silence, detain, segregate, and punish students with disabilities."

The parents also accuse school employees of secluding or restraining students. The Fairfax School System says it prohibits seclusion and restraint -unless the practices are necessary to protect the student or others.

Fairfax County Public Schools released the following statement:

"FCPS takes its responsibilities to its students very seriously. Under the direction of the School Board, we completed a thorough and independent review of restraint and seclusion guidelines, provided additional behavior intervention teachers, additional training for staff, and appointed a new ombudsman for special education. We also created a new Special Education Task Force to look at best practices in restraint and seclusion. We acknowledge that the use of restraint and seclusion is an especially sensitive and challenging issue and is appropriate only when less restrictive alternatives fail. We will continue to base our procedures and practices on that guiding principle,” said Superintendent Scott S. Brabrand."