Families sue school district for use of isolation booth

TACOMA, Wash. -- Five families are suing a Washington school district for millions of dollars for allegedly placing students inside an "isolation booth" at one of its elementary schools.

The Longview Daily News reports lawyers presented opening arguments Monday in a trial that centers on the use of restraint and seclusion in schools.

Roger Davidheiser, a lawyer representing the five children, says the defendants in the case "acted together to deprive the five children of their constitutional right to be free from unreasonable seizure and force."

Defendants named in the case include former Longview School District Superintendent Susanne Cusick, former Mint Valley Principal Patrick Kelley and former special education teacher Jerry Stein, who retired last year. Cusick left the district in 2014, and Kelley now is principal of the Broadway Learning Center.