rubber room

rubber room
 n.— «Upset that hundreds of educators awaiting disciplinary hearings are paid to sit and do nothing in so-called “rubber rooms,” Interim Schools Chancellor Harold Levy said yesterday that he’ll put them to work and close the hundreds of rooms throughout the school system.» —“Levy Focuses on ‘Rubber Rooms’” by Liz Willen Newsday (Long Island, New York) Apr. 27, 2000. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)