This commentary is by Brian Dalla Mura, a special educator with extensive experience in behavior intervention and advocacy for students with disabilities.
In VTDigger’s recent article on the Vermont Supreme Court’s ruling to exempt records on restraint and seclusion from public access, Slate Valley Superintendent Brook Olsen-Farrell defended Rule 4500, calling it a “built-in mechanism” of accountability. As a special educator with extensive experience in Vermont, including advocacy for restraint and seclusion reforms through H.409 and work addressing systemic issues in Harwood Union Unified School District, I must strongly refute this claim. Rule 4500 enables underreporting, fosters misrepresentation and shields schools from scrutiny — it does not ensure accountability.
Self-reporting is the foundation of Rule 4500, and it is deeply flawed. No educator or district willingly self-reports violations of the rule. I have personally witnessed hundreds of falsified reports that downplayed incidents or omitted them entirely. Far from holding schools accountable, self-reporting makes restraint and seclusion appear compliant on paper while hiding systemic misuse.
READ MORE
There is no independent oversight to review or verify these reports. Rule 4500 requires documentation, but no external body routinely investigates patterns or enforces consequences. This lack of oversight ensures that harmful practices remain unchallenged.
The Vermont Supreme Court’s ruling further erodes transparency, leaving families and advocates unable to access critical information about how restraint and seclusion are being used. By shielding districts from public scrutiny, Rule 4500 protects institutions — not students.
Olsen-Farrell’s defense of Rule 4500 ignores these realities. True accountability requires external audits, public transparency and meaningful reforms to reduce restraint and seclusion. Rule 4500 does the opposite: it blocks transparency and allows harmful practices to persist unchecked.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Brian Dalla Mura: Rule 4500 blocks accountability and transparency.