SWANSEA, Mass. —

The death of Amy Morrell, a staff member at a school in Swansea who died after trying to restrain a 14-year-old student at a residential school for youth, is drawing new scrutiny to the highly-regulated practice.

Morrell died the day after the teen kicked her in the chest Wednesday at Meadowridge Academy, according to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office.

The state has strict regulations about how students can be restrained in schools and residential centers like Meadowridge Academy.

Those regulations say physical restraints can only be used in emergencies when there is no other way to keep a resident safe. The regulations also require training for staff.

In Massachusetts schools there were 29,074 restraints during the 2023-24 school year that resulted in 891

See Full Page