Non-Verbal Autistic Child Allegedly Locked in Classroom Box as School Branded It 'Behaviour Support'

Photos of a wooden 'calming' box inside classrooms at a New York school district have triggered police and education investigations after a mother alleged her non verbal autistic child was regularly confined inside it as part of a behaviour intervention plan.

The case has drawn national attention, raised urgent questions about special education practices, and prompted legal action against the district.

Photos Spark Outrage and Investigation

Images of the wooden box circulated on social media in mid-December after being shared by former school board member Chrissy Onientatahse Jacobs.

The photos showed an enclosed, padded structure inside a classroom at St. Regis Mohawk School, part of the Salmon River Central School District. Community reaction was swift, with calls for accountability and immediate removal of the boxes.

Mother Says Box Was Built for Her Son

Rhonda Garrow told Us Weekly that she learned the box had been built for her eight-year-old son, who is non verbal and autistic. She said she was 'disgusted' to discover he had been placed inside it at school, adding that he could not tell his family what was happening.

Garrow said the box was used as a behavioural measure and described the discovery as heartbreaking.

School Framed Structure as 'Behaviour Support'

According to the family's attorney, references to the box appeared in the child's behaviour intervention plan, where it was described as a 'workstation'.

District officials later referred to the structures as 'calming stations'. Garrow and her legal team say the physical nature of the box was never disclosed to them, despite its use forming part of the child's daily school routine.

Claims Child Ate and Worked Inside the Box

Garrow and her lawyer allege the child was required to eat meals and complete schoolwork inside the wooden box, and that it followed him when he transferred from St. Regis Mohawk School to Salmon River Elementary earlier in December.

After the photos surfaced on 15 December, Garrow said she immediately removed her son from the school.

Police and Education Authorities Respond

St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police confirmed an active investigation into the school. Police Chief Matthew Rourke told the Times-Union that his department was examining the allegations.

The New York State Department of Education is also conducting a review and previously ordered the removal of the boxes, according to reporting.

Leadership Changes Inside the District

Following the emergence of the allegations, Superintendent Stanley Harper was placed on home duties. An interim leadership team was installed before Terrance P. Dougherty was formally appointed as superintendent in mid-January.

In a statement, Dougherty said the district is supporting an external law firm investigation to ensure a safe and inclusive learning environment.

Legal Action and Civil Rights Claims

Garrow and her son's father have filed a notice of legal claim against the district and its board of education, signalling plans to sue. They are represented by Tully Rinckey PLLC.

Founding partner Greg Rinckey said the family is seeking justice for their son and accountability for those who approved the practice. Potential claims include false imprisonment, child endangerment and disability discrimination.

The district's board of education has not yet commented publicly on the specific allegations, while investigations by police and education officials remain ongoing.