Whoa, some pretty serious accusations being flung around here: Bill Turque reports that Rock Creek Academy, a special education school located at 4401 Connecticut Avenue NW, could lose its operating license after its staffers restrained students, some of which were “held face down on their stomachs against the floor,” for minor disturbances.

The Academy, which “offer[s] full time permanent and interim special education services to students ages 5-22 with a variety of disabilities,” is also accused of other serious improprieties in a report by the D.C. State Superintendent of Education about an investigation which began in March:

In a 27-page report, officials said Rock Creek Academy on upper Connecticut Avenue has also failed to deliver therapy prescribed for students and has kept inaccurate attendance records that masked high rates of absenteeism. The school charges the city more than $50,000 in annual tuition for each of its 163 emotionally and physically disabled children.

“I would say we certainly found a disturbing level and high volume of noncompliance,” said Tameria Lewis, assistant state superintendent for special education, whose office spent nearly a year investigating the school.

[…]

The study said a review of 264 incident reports revealed that Rock Creek staff members were restraining students as a form of punishment for minor transgressions.

“Based on Rock Creek Academy’s permissive use of restraints, [the District] concludes that the environment for children at the school is unsafe,” the report said.

The school now has 30 days to appeal the agency’s recommendation to revoke its operation license. This isn’t the first time the school has been in the news for negative reasons in recent months. Last November, a Rock Creek arts teacher was arrested and charged with aggravated assault after he allegedly punched a student in the mouth near school grounds.