Lawsuit says Oregon school held girl, 7, in tiny seclusion room

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (AP) — The Springfield School District is facing a lawsuit that accuses officials of holding a 7-year-old girl in a 6-foot-by-8-foot seclusion room for having a "meltdown" in class.

The Eugene Register Guard reports that the girl's guardian filed a lawsuit Thursday. It says the girl's Court Appointed Special Advocate made an unannounced visit to the school and found the child in the darkened room, lying in the fetal position on the concrete floor.

The student has been diagnosed with several developmental disorders. The lawsuit says repeated visits to the small room have caused the girl to have nightmares, fear the dark and become claustrophobic.

A spokeswoman for the Springfield School District said Monday that officials had not yet been served with a copy of the lawsuit and had no immediate comment.