A school district in upstate New York has initiated a serious internal investigation following shocking claims that elementary school pupils, some with disabilities, might have been placed inside wooden enclosures described as 'timeout' boxes. The Salmon River Central School District board of education confirmed the review last week after pictures of these structures spread across social media platforms.
District Officials Suspended Amid State Investigation
According to the school board, three officials, including an elementary school teacher, have been placed on administrative leave. The district superintendent has also been reassigned to work from home. The board is fully cooperating with a parallel inquiry launched by the New York State Education Department.
The images that sparked the controversy were first posted online by a former member of the school board. This individual alleged the district specifically built these boxes to isolate students with disabilities. The Salmon River district, located near the Canada-New York border, serves approximately 1,300 students.
Contradictory Accounts and Community Outrage
While the superintendent admitted that three wooden crates were installed at two elementary schools, he insisted they have now been removed. He also claimed no child was ever shut inside them. This official version has been strongly challenged by several parents.
At a tense community meeting, multiple parents expressed their belief that their children had indeed been placed in these boxes. One parent of a minimally verbal child told the Albany Times Union that his son described the space as a place where children were sent to calm down, regardless of their emotion.
The issue carries a particularly heavy historical weight for the community, as more than 60% of the district's students are Native American. For many, this incident evokes painful memories of the US government's forced assimilation policies through residential boarding schools, where hundreds of children died.
Sarah Konwahahawi Herne, whose first-grader attends one of the involved schools, highlighted this living trauma, stating at least sixteen of her family members attended such schools. "This is not history. This is contemporary times in our family," she told the Times Union.
Official Apologies and Pending Outcomes
New York Governor Kathy Hochul labelled the allegations as "highly disturbing" and "entirely unacceptable" in a weekend statement. She emphasized that school must be a safe, respectful space for every child and urged the state education department to act swiftly.
In response, the school board issued a public apology. Jason Brockway, the board president, said, "We recognize the pain, concern, and distress these events have caused, and we are truly sorry for the harm and trauma this has resulted for our community." He added that the claims do not reflect the district's stated standards of care.
The final results of both the state and district investigations will be crucial. They are expected to reveal whether this was a case of individual poor judgment or points to deeper systemic failures in oversight and safeguards for vulnerable students, especially those with disabilities.
