DURHAM, N.C. - North Carolina's Department of Public Instruction (DPI) will investigate claims that disabled students confined at the Durham County Youth Home are not receiving adequate education.
On December 12, 2025, the ACLU of North Carolina and the Duke Children’s Law Clinic filed a systemic state complaint with DPI, alleging that Durham Public Schools denied legally required education services to detained students with disabilities.
Youth homes house young people who are detained while their cases move through the juvenile legal system. Many of the youth in these facilities have identified disabilities requiring special education services.
The complaint alleges that Durham Public Schools failed to provide students with disabilities with the educational support and services to which they are legally entitled. Specifically, it raises concerns that beginning in February 2025, the Youth Home implemented a near-total suspension of educational services, including special education services, during a facility-wide lockdown. Students were reportedly confined to their cells between 22 and 24 hours per day and received education services for no more than 30 minutes at a time. Even after the lockdown was lifted, students reportedly continued to receive only minimal instruction.
In January 2026, DPI declined to investigate the complaint, stating that it contained “insufficient facts to support the alleged violation.” The ACLU of North Carolina and the Children’s Law Clinic refiled the complaint in February 2026 with additional evidence. On March 12, DPI announced that it will open an investigation into whether Durham Public Schools complied with federal and state laws governing special education services for students detained at the Youth Home. The agency has indicated that it expects to complete its investigation and issue a final report by April 25, 2026. If violations are found, DPI may require Durham Public Schools to take corrective action to bring the facility into compliance with special education law.
Supporting evidence included a report from Disability Rights North Carolina based on site visits by staff and firsthand interviews with youth detained in the Youth Home.
“The reported practices at the Youth Home are deeply concerning,” said Michele Delgado, Staff Attorney at the ACLU of North Carolina. “Prolonged social isolation poses serious mental health risks for all students, and students with disabilities are particularly harmed when they are denied the specialized education and support they need. We are pleased that DPI has opened an investigation.”
“Placement in a detention facility such as the Durham Youth Home is inherently traumatic and disruptive for children, as it separates them from their families, communities, and schools,” said Peggy Nicholson, Supervising Attorney with the Duke Children’s Law Clinic. “This disruption is especially harmful for students with disabilities, who are already particularly vulnerable to interruptions in their educational progress. We are hopeful that DPI’s investigation will result in stronger policies to ensure that students with disabilities detained at the Youth Home receive the supports they need to continue their education while in confinement.”
You can read the complaint and the response below.
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