Department of Justice Enters into Settlement Agreement with Michigan's Montcalm Area Intermediate School District
DOJ found over 2,400 instances of seclusion and restraint in Michigan's MAISD—routinely used for discipline, not just emergencies—violating Americans with Disabilities Act.
July 3, 2025, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a June 27, 2025, settlement agreement it entered into with Montcalm Area Intermediate School District (MAISD). In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said:
“Students with disabilities should never be discriminated against by experiencing the trauma of seclusion or improper restraint.
“Parents have the right to expect that the school systems they entrust with educating their children do not instead punish their children.”
DOJ found over 2,400 instances of seclusion and restraint—routinely used for discipline, not just emergencies—violating Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Key Findings
According to the settlement agreement, DOJ opened an investigation March 22, 2023, and found that MAISD “discriminated against students on the basis of disability by denying them the opportunity to participate in or benefit from the District’s education program . . . and failing to make reasonable modifications to avoid disability discrimination in the District’s program.”
DOJ investigation uncovered:
Excessive use: Over 2,400 documented incidents of seclusion and restraint.
Misuse: “Seclusion and restraint used improperly, including using emergency crisis responses as punishment for normal classroom discipline issues.”
Discriminatory impact: Students with disabilities were discriminated against, constituting a civil-rights violation under ADA.