I'm not entirely sure where this school is, but I got this info off a listserv I am a part of. The poster is a well-known lawyer who keeps an eye on spec. ed. abuses. Apparently NYS sends kids here:
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/all-kidscnsept20,0,1069368.s tory?coll=all_tab01_layout
KidsPeace disciplined over injuries to children
September 21, 2007
The state has ordered KidsPeace centers in North Whitehall and Salisbury
townships to stop accepting residents because the staffs' restraining
techniques have caused a "pattern of serious injuries" to children. The
Department of Public Welfare also is making more unannounced visits to the
campuses and moving to end the use of physical restraints at the
organization's centers for troubled youth and facilities elsewhere in
Pennsylvania.
In a letter last Friday, the welfare department said these seven injuries
occurred between March 13 and Aug. 18: a left arm fracture, a fracture to a
right arm in the elbow area, a right ankle fracture, a displaced right upper
arm, a lower leg fracture, a fracture of the left upper arm and a fracture
to the right collarbone. ...Two boys died at the North Whitehall campus in
the 1990s after being restrained. But KidsPeace spokesman Mark Stubis said
the organization has since changed the restraining technique and employees
no longer apply pressure to children's and teens' respiratory systems.
He said the injury rate at KidsPeace centers has dropped 32 percent since
2000 and that no injuries were reported last year at the two campuses.
The seven injuries reported this year are too many for the welfare
department, which decided both campuses can't accept new residents until
they "put methods in place to make sure the incidents that happened don't
occur again," according to Ambrose. She said there is a statewide
initiative to eliminate restraints in all facilities. She said KidsPeace
will be informed about other "de-escalation techniques" such as verbal
commands. The welfare department also notes in its letter that police have
been called more frequently to KidsPeace on allegations including
"inappropriate sexual activity." Stubis said workers are not involved in
those allegations. He said KidsPeace is discussing installing more security
cameras to cut down on sexual incidents among residents and false claims of
sexual abuse.
KidsPeace has also had other problems. In 2004, it agreed to pay nearly .9
million to settle claims that it overbilled Medicaid for services in the
Lehigh Valley. ...