Durham County Youth Home residents with disabilities were improperly denied special education services in early 2025, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction has found.

The students did not have access to their required special educational services while the facility was in lockdown during that time, DPI found.

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The Durham County Youth Home is a county-run facility that provides a home and services to juveniles accused of an offense who are awaiting a court disposition of their case. Children housed there can still receive education. Students with disabilities are entitled to their special education services under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

It's unclear why the youth home was in lockdown, but the lockdown last from early February through March 2025, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, one of the groups that complained to DPI.

In a statement to WRAL News on Wednesday, Durham Public Schools said it's "committed to the academic excellence of all Durham Public Schools students, including those housed at the Durham County Youth Home."

DPS teachers can provide up to six hours of instruction each day, but the district noted the amount of time students are able to get depends on facility operations and safety protocols, the statement notes.

"During periods when the facility is operating under heightened safety measures, access to students for instructional purposes may be limited," the statement says. "During these times, DPS teachers continue to support required End-of-Grade and End-of-Course testing, assessments, and state-mandated activities as appropriate. Full instructional services — including general and exceptional children’s instruction — resume as conditions allow."

Durham County didn't immediately respond to a WRAL request for comment.

During the lockdown, youth home officials refused Durham Public Schools educators sufficient access to the school, both in-person and virtually, DPI found. DPS educators were not allowed in residential quarters, where students were confined 22.5 to 24 hours per day during the lockdown.

Four students with disabilities were housed there at the time, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina and the Duke Children's Law Clinic, who filed the complaint that led to DPI's finding. They received no more than 30 minutes of education at a time during the lockdown, instead of the typical five to six hours per day, the groups said.

DPI ordered DPS to draft a plan to continue to provide educational services to students with disabilities in the event of another lockdown, or how to provide alternative or compensatory educational services if access has to be restricted. DPS must consult with Durham County Youth Home staff on the plan, which is due May 15.

DPI's order doesn't include compensatory education for the four students, and the ACLU of North Carolina believes education access was still limited after the lockdown.

"Durham Public Schools remains committed to working in close partnership with the Durham County Youth Home to support consistent access to educational services," DPS's statement says. "We will continue to align with guidance from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and advocate for conditions that best support student learning, while ensuring all services are delivered safely and effectively."

The ACLU of North Carolina and the Duke Children's Law Clinic commended DPI's finding in a news release Tuesday.

"Children should not bear the consequences of systemic failures," said Peggy Nicholson, Supervising Attorney at the Duke Children’s Law Clinic, in the news release. "The youth home is entrusted with caring for these children and ensuring their access to required services, including special education. We hope DPI’s corrective action leads to stronger coordination and oversight that ensures all future students with disabilities receive the educational services they need and are legally entitled to receive."

The ACLU of North Carolina and the Duke Children's Law Clinic filed a complaint about the issue after a Disability Rights North Carolina visit to the school during the lockdown in February 2025. Disability Rights is the state's protection and advocacy organization and is authorized under federal law to monitor settings that serve people with disabilities.