The mother of an 11-year-old boy with autism has filed a $150 million wrongful-death lawsuit alleging special education staff secluded and restrained her son inside a “makeshift classroom prison,” where he struck his head on the floor and pleaded for his “mommy” before going home and dying days later. The suit names the Southeastern Cooperative Educational Programs, known as SECEP, and four employees who worked in a classroom at Pembroke Elementary School.
The case matters because it tests how far schools can go when responding to behavioral crises and whether seclusion practices contributed to a child’s death. The lawsuit, filed in Norfolk Circuit Court, centers on the final week of Joshua Sikes’ life: an Oct. 31, 2024 incident inside a SECEP-run classroom and his death on Nov. 3. Virginia’s chief medical examiner later listed his cause as complications of a seizure disorder. No criminal charges have been filed, but police and child welfare agencies reviewed what happened in the classroom. SECEP’s executive director said the agency would not comment on pending litigation or personnel issues.
According to the complaint, staff assembled bookshelves and other furniture with heavy straps to create a confined area they controlled from outside. The filing says Joshua, who had limited verbal ability, was kept there for hours on Oct. 31 and could be heard saying, “I want my mommy,” along with the phrase “No more angry bear,” before lying down and banging his head on the floor. The document alleges staff “did nothing” to protect him and later called his mother to pick him up for “misbehavior,” without disclosing head injuries. His mother says she canceled Halloween plans that night, believing the report from professionals, and brought him home.
The suit identifies the four employees as Theresa Renvyle, Carole Parker, Nicole Smrz and Katherine Wynne, and accuses them of negligence and gross negligence, among other counts. It says photographs show furniture strapped together to limit movement and that the confined space had no padding on the walls or floor. The complaint alleges Joshua came home with unexplained bruising in the weeks before Halloween and that, on Oct. 31, he repeatedly struck his head while confined. The filing says he died at home three days later. The lawsuit contends the head trauma triggered a cascade of medical complications that led to his death, while acknowledging the official death certificate lists complications of a seizure disorder.
Records referenced in the complaint say Joshua attended a SECEP classroom situated inside Pembroke Elementary. SECEP is a regional cooperative created in 1978 by several Hampton Roads school divisions; it serves roughly 1,500 students with significant behavioral and medical needs. The program’s executive director has declined to elaborate on the incident, citing the ongoing case. Virginia Beach Public Schools said SECEP operates the classroom and staff, while the school division coordinates facilities and services for students attending on the campus. Officials have not answered detailed questions about past complaints or discipline in that classroom, and it remains unknown whether any of the named employees are still working with students.
Investigators examined the classroom and interviewed staff after Joshua’s death. Police confirmed there were no immediate signs of a crime and said the medical examiner would determine cause and manner of death. The medical examiner later ruled the death natural, tied to a seizure disorder, according to investigative reporting published last year. Even so, the mother’s lawsuit argues that negligent restraint and seclusion aggravated his condition and directly led to fatal complications. The complaint cites statements by one employee describing how colleagues pinned Joshua between the walls of the space during a prior incident, and it alleges the restraints on Oct. 31 were used to provoke behaviors to justify removing him from the classroom.
Joshua’s final week followed a pattern described in earlier reports: escalating behaviors on Halloween, early pickup by his mother, an observed bruise noted by a caregiver the next day, a hospital visit on Saturday after a possible seizure, and his death early Sunday in his bedroom. The suit says staff should have documented and disclosed any head injury, notified the family, and sought medical evaluation immediately. Attorneys for the family argue that hours of confinement without padding or protective interventions violated state guidance on the use of seclusion and restraint in schools. The filing seeks compensatory and punitive damages and a jury trial.
Restraint and seclusion practices in Virginia have drawn scrutiny for years, particularly in classrooms serving students with autism and developmental disabilities. State regulations require that restraint be used only to prevent serious harm and that any seclusion be closely monitored, documented and reported to parents. Advocates say those guardrails often fail in practice. SECEP leaders previously told reporters they were cooperating with agency reviews and that staff receive training on crisis de-escalation. The lawsuit contends the techniques used in Joshua’s classroom bore little resemblance to approved methods and instead created a hazardous environment.
Legally, the case begins with a civil docket in Norfolk, where plaintiffs filed last week. The complaint lists counts of wrongful death, negligence and civil conspiracy against SECEP and the four employees, and seeks $150 million in damages. Defendants have not yet filed responses. If the case proceeds, a judge would set discovery schedules, and the parties could seek records including internal reports, training logs, surveillance video, and staff communications. Hearings on preliminary motions could come in the next several months, followed by depositions and expert reports. Trial dates in complex wrongful-death suits are typically set a year or more out, or the parties may reach a settlement.
Neighbors and parents interviewed outside Pembroke Elementary called the allegations disturbing. Some described seeing specialized classrooms with low lighting and calm corners but said they had never witnessed a space like the one depicted in lawsuit photographs. A local parent of a child with autism said, “Those rooms are supposed to help kids reset, not leave them injured.” Others emphasized that classrooms serving high-needs students can face dangerous situations and that well-trained teams prevent injuries. None of the people quoted by media outlets were identified by officials, and the school division has not hosted a public briefing specific to this case.
As of Thursday, no criminal charges had been announced, and the named employees had not responded publicly. The medical examiner’s ruling remains in place pending any new evidence. The civil case will move ahead in Norfolk Circuit Court, where the clerk will assign a judge and set dates. Attorneys for Joshua’s mother said updates would be filed through the court. Any broader policy changes around restraint and seclusion would be considered by SECEP and participating school divisions on their own timelines.
Author note: Last updated January 15, 2026.