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After Teen's Death, Districts Thinking Twice About Sending Children Out Of State

By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express

July 2, 2002

BUCKINGHAM, PENNSYLVANIA--On February 5 of this year, Matthew Goodman was rushed to Children's Hospital in Philadelphia from Bancroft School in Haddonfield, New Jersey.

He died of pneumonia, respiratory distress and blood poisoning the next day -- just one month before his 15th birthday.

Matthew, who had autism, was placed six years ago in Bancroft, an institution housing 60 children with "severe behavior disorders". Two years ago he was made to wear stiff arm restraints designed to keep him from hurting himself.

Matthew's mother, Janice Roach, believes the residential school's use of restraints and sedation weakened her son's immune system and led directly to his death.

"He died mentally for two years before he died physically. Every ounce of dignity was taken away from him," Roach told the Intelligencer.

Now Bancroft School is under scrutiny by authorities in New Jersey because of Matthew's death and other complaints. Last month the New Jersey Department of Human Services announced it would not allow children to be placed at Bancroft, after staff took 10 minutes to evacuate the facility during an unannounced fire drill.

The facility is also being scrutinized by Central Bucks School District in Pennsylvania, which last year paid Bancroft $454,000 to house Matthew and another child. Districts in Bucks and nearby Montgomery counties are looking at the feasibility of moving any children to programs outside the state rather than serving their needs closer to home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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