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I don't know that anyone has said there were "legitimate" reasons, but finding angles the defense might use is what some do here. Take the restraints -
Schools, and they were homeschooled, were/are allowed to restrain children with autism and other severe behavioral problems (extent of my knowledge)...so might a defense attorney in a high profile case try to build reasonable doubt with this? JMO
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It is important to understand what restraint and seclusion laws are for children with and without disabilities. The linked PDF is a great resource. Here is an excerpt regarding CA laws:
"For children with disabilities, 38 states by law require schools to provide some meaningful protections against both restraint and seclusion. They are Alabama, Arizona (2015), Alaska, Californiad, Colorado, Connecticut (2015), Floridad, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas (2015), Kentucky, Louisianad, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan (2016), Minnesota, Mississippi (2016), Montana, Nevadad, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvaniad, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah (2015), Vermont, Washington (2015 and 2013 upgrades),21 West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. (New York has a superscripted (m) because it has a broader regulation for children with disabilities and a more limited regulation for all children.) Louisiana adopted a new law which mandates that an Advisory Committee provide guidance on best practices for reducing the use of restraint and seclusion, and that schools adopt master plans to improve restraint and seclusion practices."
http://www.autcom.org/pdf/HowSafeSchoolhouse.pdf
I think it is important to know that restraints and chaining with metal links and locks to beds are not the same thing and would never be legal in any state. Restraining is meant to protect the child and others from getting hurt as is seclusion. The read of the lawyer and mother is a very good primer on the rights of a family/child in relation to restraint and seclusion.
I work with students with disabilities (in NY) and am not certified in any restraining techniques. There are some people who are but it is not a common technique used in schools but we would EMS students and have health professionals do the management.