Education officials in New York are demanding comprehensive changes at a school district that confined disabled young students in wooden enclosures without informing their families.
The Salmon River Central School District in Fort Covington, New York, has admitted that wooden containers were built and utilized to restrain elementary students with disabilities, including Native American children, according to state authorities.
District officials confirmed the authenticity of photographs showing the wooden enclosures after the images spread across social media platforms. The confinement practice was discontinued in December 2025 following the public exposure.
New York state officials have now mandated extensive reforms within the district’s special education services. Parents of affected children were not informed about the use of these restraint methods on their students.
The state’s investigation revealed that the special education program at the Salmon River district used these wooden containers to confine young children with disabilities as part of their educational approach.
