Physical Confinement and Restraint Annual Notice
by Dave Harper
March 12, 2009
Notice: Corporal Punishment, Restraint, and Physical Confinement and Detention
State law forbids school employees from using corporal punishment
against any student. Certain actions by school employees are not
considered corporal punishment. Additionally, school employees may
use “reasonable and necessary force, not designed or intended to
cause pain” to do certain things, such as prevent harm to persons
or property.
State law also places limits school employees’ abilities to restrain or confine and detain any student. The law limits why, how, where, and for how long a school employee may restrain or confine and detain a child. If a child is restrained or confined and detained, the school must maintain documentation and must provide certain types of notice to the child’s parent.
If you have any questions about this state law, please contact Dave Harper. The complete text of the law and additional information is available on the Iowa Department of Education’s web site: www.iowa.gov/educate.
