IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A state Department of Education review has found that the Iowa City Community School District occasionally sent students to padded seclusion rooms for minor infractions rather than solely to prevent them from harming themselves or others.

After a complaint filed last year, the department reviewed 455 incidents of seclusion in the district from Dec. 22, 2015, to Dec. 21, 2016. Officials also visited two of the district’s school buildings. Each contained two of the roughly 6-by-6-foot, padded, wooden boxes.

Department complaint officer Thomas Mayes wrote in his report that, “Seclusion for minor infractions is not a reasonable response.”  He said the district must review and revise all policies and procedures involving seclusion rooms increase staff training on using the rooms.