Del Mar Union School District Faces Lawsuit Over Systemic Abuse and Illegal Use of Isolation Rooms
San Diego, CA – A lawsuit has been filed against the Del Mar Union School District and individual employees at Sage Canyon School, alleging that school personnel repeatedly confined a student with disabilities in a barricaded isolation room, in violation of both federal and state law.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of minor N.G. by her mother Genevieve Goldstone, outlines a disturbing pattern of abuse by trained special education staff who routinely placed the child in a so-called “reset room,” a small, barricaded space where she was left alone without visual supervision. The student, who is diagnosed with a disability, was placed in isolation multiple times a week. She was often brought to tears, sobbing, screaming for help, and asking to be let out.
“This isn’t a case of a few rogue teachers ignoring legal requirements,” said Kimberly Hutchison, Partner at Singleton Schreiber representing the Goldstone family. “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.”
Despite the severity of the incidents, N.G.’s parents were never provided written notice of the use of seclusion as required by law. The seclusion left her with lasting psychological trauma, ultimately leading to a PTSD diagnosis and the need for intensive therapeutic intervention.
California law provides heightened protections for students, especially those with disabilities, and requires that all incidents involving the physical separation or isolation of a child be formally documented and reported. Despite this legal obligation, Del Mar Union School District reported zero instances of seclusion for the past several years. This is a clear indicator of noncompliance and systemic concealment.
The lawsuit cites violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and California Education Code, arguing that the district denied the child meaningful educational access and inflicted lasting harm under the guise of discipline. It further contends that the child and her peers with disabilities were denied access to an inclusive educational environment, isolating them from the broader school community in violation of their rights.
Importantly, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights had launched a formal investigation into Del Mar Union’s use of isolation rooms on N.G. The investigation involved dozens of interviews at three of the nine elementary schools in the district, exposing broader concerns about how the district handles children with special needs. The final report from that investigation was near completion when the Administration changed. That investigation, along with many others, then stalled as the Trump Administration began dismantling key functions of the Department of Education’s civil rights enforcement. As federal oversight weakened, families were forced to rely increasingly on state protections and the civil justice system to seek accountability and relief.
“This isn’t just about my child. It’s about making sure no other child has to go through what ours did,” N.G.’s mother said. “I want other families to know they have rights. Schools need to be held accountable for how they treat children, especially the most vulnerable. This lawsuit is about both the enforcement of current laws and systemic change. No child should experience the abuse and harm our child did and no parent should ever have to see their child suffer the way we have. The lack of basic dignity remains shocking and there remains a deep sadness that comes from realizing our baby was hurt by people we trusted.”
Singleton Schreiber is a client-centered law firm, specializing in mass torts/multi-district litigation, fire litigation, personal injury/wrongful death, civil rights, environmental law, insurance bad faith, and sex abuse/trafficking.
Over the last decade, the firm has recovered more than $3 billion for clients who have been harmed and sought justice.
The firm also has the largest fire litigation practice in the country, having represented over 30,000 victims of wildfire, most notably serving plaintiffs in litigation related to the 2025 Eaton and Hurst Fires, 2025 Moss Landing Battery Plant Fire, 2023 Maui wildfires, the Colorado Marshall wildfire, the Washington Gray wildfire, several California wildfires, and others.
