Kimberly Hutchison, Partner at Singleton Schreiber in San Diego, was recently featured by Fox 5/KUSI in their article, "Del Mar Union Sued for Alleged Abuse of Special Needs Students," published on May 27th, 2025.
The article covers the recent civil rights lawsuit filed by Singleton Schreiber against the Del Mar Union School District on behalf of a special needs student who was allegedly subjected to repeated seclusion in “reset rooms” at Sage Canyon Elementary School. According to the complaint, the district’s actions violated state and federal protections for students with behavioral disabilities and caused lasting psychological harm, citing the repeated placement of the plaintiff's child in barricaded rooms with makeshift walls that prevented her from leaving.
Commenting on the case, Ms. Hutchison said:
“This isn’t a case of a few rogue teachers ignoring legal requirements. This is a case of broken systems, failed leadership, and normalized trauma. Staff seem to have been following what they believed to be standard protocol, which means the district not only allowed but encouraged this treatment. That’s unacceptable."
Fox 5/KUSI also noted that the allegations led to a federal Title IX investigation by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, that the probe was reportedly stalled under the Trump administration, and that the Del Mar Union School District has disputed the claims while reaffirming its commitment to student safety.
