Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-2_14-cv-01431/USCOURTS-caed-2_14-cv-01431-7/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 448
Nature of Suit: Civil Rights - Education
Cause of Action: 20:1401 Education: Handicapped Child Act

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 

FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 

DAVID SWANSON, through his guardian 

ad litem HEATHER SWANSONHOUSTON, and on her own behalf, 

Plaintiff, 

v. 

YUBA CITY UNIFIED SCHOOL 

DISTRICT and SUTTER COUNTY 

SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, 

Defendant. 

No. 2:14-cv-01431-KJM-DB 

ORDER 

David Swanson, a special needs student in his twenties, and Heather SwansonHouston, his mother and guardian ad litem (collectively, Plaintiffs), bring this action under the 

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq., and Section 504 of 

the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 749 et seq. This matter is before the court on the 

parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment. Pls.’ Am. Mot. for Summ. J. (Pls.’ MSJ), ECF 

No. 44; Defs.’ Mot. for Summ. J. (Defs.’ MSJ), ECF No. 46. 

For the following reasons, the court grants Defendants’ motion for summary 

judgment in its entirety and denies Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment in its entirety. 

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I. STATUTORY, FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND 

A. Statutory Background 

The IDEA requires all states receiving federal education funds to provide disabled 

children a free appropriate public education (FAPE). 20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(1)(A). The FAPE 

must be tailored to each student’s unique needs through an individualized education program 

(IEP). Id. § 1401(9). An IEP is a written statement for each disabled student that includes goals, 

measures of progress, and a statement of special education and supplementary aids and services 

the student will be provided. Id. § 1414(d)(1)(A)(i). The IEP must provide the disabled student a 

FAPE in the least restrictive environment. J.W. ex rel. J.E.W. v. Fresno Unified Sch. Dist., 

626 F.3d 431, 448 (9th Cir. 2010) (citations omitted). The IDEA provides that an IEP shall 

contain a “statement of the special education and related services” that will be provided to a child. 

Id. § 1414(d)(1)(A)(i)(IV). The statute defines these related services as including “school nurse 

services designed to enable a child with a disability to receive a free appropriate public 

education.” Id. § 1401(26) 

A party may request an administrative “due process hearing” before an ALJ to 

challenge any matter related to the provision of a FAPE. 20 U.S.C. §§ 1415(b)(6), (f), (k)(3). 

Violations of the IDEA can arise in two situations: (1) a school district may not comply with the 

procedures outlined in the IDEA; or (2) the IEP developed by the school district may not be 

“reasonably calculated to enable the child to receive educational benefits.” Bd. of Educ. of 

Hendrick Hudson Cent. Sch. Dist. v. Rowley, 458 U.S. 176, 206–07 (1982); M.M. v. Lafayette 

Sch. Dist., 767 F.3d 842, 852 (9th Cir. 2014). The IDEA requires a plaintiff to exhaust his or her 

administrative remedies before filing a civil action. 20 U.S.C. § 1415(l). 

B. Factual Background 

David Swanson currently is 24 years old; he has autism and insulin-dependent 

Type 1 diabetes. Defs.’ Resp. to Pls.’ Separate Statement of Undisputed Material Facts (Defs.’ 

Resp. UMF) 2:25–28, ECF No. 49-1. He was eligible for special education services under the 

IDEA until he aged out of the public education system during the summer of 2014, when he was 

22. Id. David first began receiving special education services at the age of 3 for his autism, and 

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he has very low cognitive abilities. Id. at 3:2–14. He is nonverbal and communicates by using a 

combination of gestures, grunts, and limited sign language. Id. Due to his impairments, David 

has seriously delayed academic, self-help, and social skills. Id.

David’s Type 1 diabetes is unusually unstable and difficult to control. Id. at 4:28. 

David’s mother, Ms. Swanson-Houston, provides his diabetes care at home. Id. at 4:3–21. She 

does not have a nursing license, but she received two weeks of training through Sutter Memorial 

Hospital in diabetic care. Id. When David was first diagnosed with diabetes in 2005, Ms. 

Swanson-Houston showed the school nurse at the time how to use an insulin pen to administer 

David’s insulin. Id. at 4:22–27. Beginning in April 2009, Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) 

Annette Armstrong began providing David’s diabetes care at school. Id. at 7:6–9. Outside of the 

training provided to all LVNs, Armstrong received no specialized training in autism or diabetes, 

and she had not met David prior to becoming his LVN. Office of Administrative Hearings 

(OAH) Decision Factual Findings ¶ 62. 

In May 2012, LVN Armstrong reported a teacher’s alleged abuse of David to the 

Sutter County Superintendent of Schools (County) and Adult Protective Services; Armstrong was 

reassigned to care for another student pending the investigation. Am. Compl. ¶ 11, ECF No. 26; 

Defs.’ MSJ 7:26–28. Ms. Swanson-Houston then filed a due process complaint against 

Defendants with the OAH regarding David’s educational placement, complaining that Defendants 

“failed to offer one-to-one LVN services by an LVN trained to meet David’s unique needs.” 

Administrative Record (AR) 71. On October 23, 2012, the parties reached a settlement 

agreement whereby Defendants agreed, in relevant part, to allow LVN Armstrong to continue 

providing David’s care as long as she was employed by either the Yuba City Unified School 

District (District) or the County. Am. Compl. ¶¶ 12–13; Defs.’ MSJ 7:21–28. 

On February 19, 2013, the County placed LVN Armstrong on administrative leave 

and assigned Alison Anderson, Registered Nurse (RN), as David’s one-to-one nurse. Am. 

Compl. ¶¶ 19, 22; Defs.’ MSJ 8:9–11. The parties agree that both RNs and LVNs have the 

requisite qualifications to provide David’s medical needs at school. July 28, 2016 Mot. Hr’g, 

ECF No. 53. In February 2013, RN Anderson had twenty-three years’ experience as a registered 

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nurse and thirteen years’ experience as a school nurse. AR 847–48. Additionally, as LVN 

Armstrong’s supervisor, RN Anderson had directly overseen David’s daily diabetic care from 

November 2012 to February 19, 2013. Id. However, Ms. Swanson-Houston believed Defendants 

were breaching their settlement agreement by assigning RN Anderson to care for David because 

she believed RN Anderson “had failed to develop a health plan and had only met with David 

twice.” Pls.’ MSJ 11:8–11; see Defs.’ Opp’n to Pls.’ MSJ (Defs.’ Opp’n) 9:6–11, ECF No. 49. 

February 19, 2013 was the last day David attended school. Pls.’ MSJ 11:1–15:14; Defs.’ MSJ 

9:1–2. The next day, February 20, 2013, Ms. Swanson-Houston revoked consent for Defendants’ 

personnel to provide David with medical care. Am. Compl. ¶ 22; Defs.’ MSJ 8:11–13. 

On February 21, 2013, the County sent Ms. Swanson-Houston a letter and email 

informing her that she must provide Defendants with authorization to provide David with diabetes 

care in order for him to return to school. Defs.’ Resp. UMF 9:6–16. Ms. Swanson-Houston 

refused to sign a new authorization form. Id. at 8:25–9:5. Defendants maintain they were ready 

to meet David’s needs with a one-to-one paraprofessional and a one-to-one LVN should Ms. 

Swanson-Houston sign a medical authorization form. See id. at 10:11–17. On August 19, 2013, 

Defendants offered David an IEP that included a one-to-one nurse for 420 minutes daily, five 

days per week, which provided David with individual nursing services at home prior to school, 

during the bus ride to school, the entirety of the school day, the bus ride home, and at David’s 

home after school. Id. at 11:19–28. Both parties insisted they be allowed to choose who would 

provide David’s diabetic care while at school. See Pls.’ MSJ 11:01–15:14; Defs.’ MSJ 8:08–

9:02. 

C. Procedural Background 

On October 30, 2013, the District filed with OAH a due process complaint against 

Ms. Swanson-Houston, alleging she continued to request special education services for David but 

had refused to allow any of Defendants’ employees to provide David’s necessary one-to-one 

nursing services. AR 10. On December 2, 2013, Plaintiffs filed their own due process complaint 

against Defendants, alleging, in pertinent part, that Defendants denied David a FAPE by failing to 

provide him with appropriate one-to-one LVN services. AR 77. The OAH consolidated the two 

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cases on December 19, 2013. Pls.’ MSJ 16:10–12; Defs.’ MSJ 5:13–15. On December 20, 2013, 

the ALJ granted the District’s motion to dismiss all discrimination and retaliation claims under 

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 749 et seq, leaving four issues to be 

addressed in the administrative proceeding: 

[Student’s Issue for Hearing #1:] Whether District’s and County’s 

November 8, 2012 and August 19, 2013 [IEP] denied Student a 

[FAPE] by: (a) Failing to provide Student with adequate one-to-one 

services by [an LVN] to meet his unique needs regarding diabetes 

and communication; and (b) Failing to offer Student a placement 

that met his unique needs, especially sensitivity to sound, and by 

offering a classroom which contained too many students. 

[Student’s Issue for Hearing #2:] Whether District and the County 

denied [David] a FAPE by failing to provide him with special 

education and related services from February 21, 2013, through the 

present; and failing to permit [his mother] to choose the LVN, or 

family member, to provide [David] with diabetic care services at 

school. 

[District’s Issue for Hearing #1:] Whether District’s August 19, 

2013 [individualized education program (IEP)] denied [David] a 

FAPE by failing to offer an appropriate nurse. 

[District’s Issue for Hearing #2:] Whether Parent needs to permit 

District to have meaningful access to Student’s physicians and 

physician orders regarding his diabetic care so that District may 

develop and/or implement a diabetes medical management plan. 

OAH Decision 4–5. During the five-day due process hearing that commenced on February 3, 

2014, the ALJ heard the sworn testimony of nine witnesses and received documentary evidence. 

Id. at 3–4. 

On April 7, 2014, the ALJ issued a thirty-two-page single-spaced decision in favor 

of Defendants on all matters, holding Defendants offered David appropriate nursing services and 

did not commit any procedural or substantive violations of the IDEA. Id. at 5. The decision 

contains extensive factual and credibility findings. Notably, the ALJ observed that Ms. SwansonHouston “failed to assert any specific complaint regarding the County selected nurse, 

Ms. Anderson.” OAH Decision Factual Findings ¶ 58. The ALJ also found that portions of Ms. 

Swanson-Houston’s testimony were “intentionally misleading[, which] diminished the [overall] 

persuasiveness of [her] testimony.” Id. ¶ 61. Additionally, the ALJ acknowledged Plaintiffs’ 

argument that Ms. Swanson-Houston was willing to provide David’s diabetic care at school 

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herself, but he rejected it as being “not consistent with [her] testimony or conduct.” OAH 

Decision Legal Conclusions ¶ 32. 

 On June 16, 2014, Plaintiffs initiated the present action seeking review of the 

OAH decision as provided by 20 U.S.C. § 1415(i)(2)(A). Pls.’ MSJ 18:18. On June 27, 2016, 

Plaintiffs moved for summary judgment under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56, arguing 

Defendants denied David a FAPE by: (1) improperly denying Plaintiffs the right to choose 

David’s diabetes care provider during the school day; (2) improperly making the provision of 

special education contingent on Ms. Swanson-Houston’s signing a form that would authorize 

Defendants’ personnel to provide David’s diabetes care during the school day; and (3) failing to 

provide an adequate nurse to care for David’s diabetes while at school. Id. at 26:22–27:27. On 

July 1, 2016, Defendants cross-moved for summary judgment or, in the alternative, partial 

summary judgment on the basis that the ALJ correctly found Defendants offered David a FAPE. 

Defs.’ MSJ 21:13–23. Both parties filed opposition briefs. Pls.’ Opp’n to Defs.’ MSJ, ECF 

No. 48; Defs.’ Opp’n. On July 19, 2016, Plaintiffs filed a second amended motion for summary 

judgment. ECF No. 50. However, the court struck this motion because it was untimely and did 

not comply with the pretrial scheduling order or the local rules. ECF No. 52. On July 22, 2016, 

Defendants replied to Plaintiffs’ opposition brief. ECF No. 51. On July 28, 2016, the court held 

a hearing, at which Martha Millar appeared for Plaintiffs and Daniel Jay appeared for Defendants. 

ECF No. 53. 

II. STANDARD OF REVIEW AND DEFERENCE 

A court must grant summary judgment under Rule 56(a) of the Federal Rules of 

Civil Procedure when the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). 

A motion for summary judgment under the IDEA differs from an ordinary summary judgment 

motion because it “is in substance an appeal from an administrative determination.” Capistrano 

Unified Sch. Dist. v. Wartenberg, 59 F.3d 884, 892 (9th Cir. 1995). Unlike an ordinary summary 

judgment motion, the existence of a disputed issue of material fact does not defeat a motion for 

summary judgment under the IDEA. Ojai Unified Sch. Dist. v. Jackson, 4 F.3d 1467, 1472 (9th 

Cir. 1993); Wartenberg, 59 F.3d at 891–92 (observing that the inquiry is not directed at 

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discerning whether there are disputed issues of fact, but rather, whether the administrative record, 

taken together with new evidence, establishes by a preponderance of the evidence that there has 

been compliance with IDEA’s procedures, while also giving due weight to the hearing officer’s 

determinations). 

The text of the IDEA provides the following formulation of the standard for 

review of an administrative decision: 

In any action brought under this paragraph, the court— 

(i) shall receive the records of the administrative 

proceedings; 

(ii) shall hear additional evidence at the request of a party; 

and 

(iii) basing its decision on the preponderance of the 

evidence, shall grant such relief as the court determines is 

appropriate. 

20 U.S.C. § 1415(i)(2)(C). 

Although courts give less deference to an administrative decision in IDEA cases 

than in other administrative cases, full de novo review is inappropriate. J.L. v. Mercer Island Sch. 

Dist., 592 F.3d 938, 949 (9th Cir. 2010) (citing J.G. v. Douglas Cty. Sch. Dist., 552 F.3d 786, 793 

(9th Cir. 2008)); see also Rowley, 458 U.S. at 206 (1982). Instead, courts give “due weight” to 

the administrative proceedings in IDEA cases. J.L., 592 F.3d at 949 (citing Douglas, 552 F.3d at 

793). 

The court in Wartenberg, supra, reasoned that some deference to the 

administrative decision “makes sense” for the same reasons deference is given to other agency 

actions: “agency expertise, the decision of the political branches . . . to vest the decision initially 

in an agency, and the costs imposed on all parties of having still another person redecide the issue 

from scratch.” 59 F.3d at 891 (citing Kerkam v. McKenzie, 862 F.2d 884, 887 (D.C. Cir. 1988)). 

The Circuit has also noted the structure of the IDEA demonstrates that Congress “intended states 

to have the primary responsibility of formulating each individual child’s education.” Hood v. 

Encinitas Union Sch. Dist., 486 F.3d 1099, 1104 (9th Cir. 2007). Consequently, the court must 

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“not substitute [its] opinions of sound educational policy for those of the school authorities which 

[it is] reviewing.” Adams v. State of Oregon, 195 F.3d 1141, 1149 (9th Cir. 1999). 

The quality of the administrative decision determines the amount of deference the 

district court should afford it. Greater deference should be given to the ALJ’s findings when they 

are “thorough and careful.” K.D. ex rel. C.L. v. Dep’t of Educ., 665 F.3d 1110, 1117 (9th Cir. 

2011); Hood, 486 F.3d at 1104; see also Wartenberg, 59 F.3d at 891–92 (finding that “[t]he 

hearing officer’s report was especially careful and thorough, so the judge appropriately exercised 

her discretion to give it quite substantial deference”); Ojai Unified Sch. Dist., 4 F.3d at 1476 

(holding that an ALJ’s decision is entitled to “substantial weight” where the “decision evinces 

[the ALJ’s] careful, impartial consideration of all the evidence and demonstrates his sensitivity to 

the complexity of the issues presented”). However, courts retain the freedom to decide 

independently how much weight to give the ALJ’s findings and conclusions. Ashland Sch. Dist. 

v. Parents of Student R.J., 588 F.3d 1004, 1009 (9th Cir. 2009). 

III. DEFERENCE 

Plaintiffs argue this court should not afford the ALJ’s decision deference for eight 

separate reasons. See Pls.’ MSJ 19:4–26:22. The court rejects each argument, as follows. 

Plaintiffs’ first three arguments all concern factual determinations as to whether 

Ms. Swanson-Houston waived medical liability so that she, or someone else of her choosing, 

could administer David’s diabetes care at school. Specifically, Plaintiffs first contend “[t]he ALJ 

erred by repeatedly stating in his decision the misinformation” that Ms. Swanson-Houston would 

only allow LVN Armstrong to treat David’s diabetes at school. Id. at 19:4–24. Second, Plaintiffs 

contend “[t]he ALJ erred by ignoring the evidence that Ms. Swanson-Houston repeatedly 

requested of [Defendants] that she [herself] be allowed to provide David’s diabetes care during 

the day or [else] elect to have someone else provide it.” Id. at 19:25–21:3. Third, Plaintiffs 

contend “[t]he ALJ erred by stating in his decision that Ms. Swanson-Houston never requested a 

waiver.” Id. at 21:4–22:15. All three of Plaintiffs’ arguments either mischaracterize or ignore 

pertinent findings in the ALJ’s decision. The ALJ explicitly acknowledged and rejected 

Plaintiffs’ arguments, finding the contrary evidence to be more persuasive because Plaintiffs’ 

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arguments were “not consistent with [David’s m]other’s testimony or conduct.” OAH Decision 

Legal Conclusions ¶¶ 32–36. In addition, as to the waiver, Plaintiffs’ counsel at hearing could 

point to no time when Ms. Swanson-Houston had explicitly requested a waiver. 

Fourth, Plaintiff argues “[t]he ALJ erred by ignoring . . . that [Defendants] made 

the provision of special education for David contingent on Ms. Swanson-Houston signing an 

authorization form [that states,] ‘Signing this form is voluntary . . . . Refusing to sign this 

authorization will not affect the LEA’s [local education agency] commitment to provide a quality 

education for my child.’ ” Pls.’ MSJ 22:16–23:23 (quoting Waiver Form, AR at 385). This 

argument again mischaracterizes the ALJ’s decision. Far from ignoring this issue, the ALJ fully 

discussed it in conjunction with the District’s contention that it needed authorization to consult 

with David’s physician in order to deliver nursing services safely. See OAH Decision Legal 

Conclusions ¶¶ 39–42. 

Fifth, Plaintiffs contend “the ALJ erred by stating in his Decision that ‘during her 

testimony, [Ms. Swanson-Houston] failed to assert any specific complaint regarding [RN] 

Anderson.’” Pls. MSJ 23:23–24:2 (quoting OAH Decision Factual Findings ¶ 58). For support, 

Plaintiffs cite a passage from the hearing transcript in which Ms. Swanson-Houston testified that 

(1) RN Anderson had failed to supervise David directly, and (2) she had lodged a complaint 

against RN Anderson with the California Board of Registered Nursing for not ensuring David’s 

health records were kept private. TR at 957–59. However, Plaintiffs fail to explain how these 

examples made RN Anderson unqualified to treat David. Additionally, the ALJ’s omission of 

this testimony is consistent with his determination that Ms. Swanson-Houston’s testimony was 

not credible. See OAH Decision Factual Findings ¶ 58; OAH Legal Conclusions ¶¶ 32–33. 

Sixth, Plaintiffs contend the ALJ erred in characterizing the testimony of RN 

Keenan, who served as an independent assessor at the August 2013 IEP meeting, as describing 

David as a “nurse-dependent pupil who required constant and comprehensive services from a 

one-to-one nurse while at school.” Pls.’ MSJ 24:3–24:19 (quoting OAH Decision Factual 

Findings ¶ 43). For support, Plaintiffs cite the hearing transcript in making the following 

argument: “As for nurse Keenan’s testimony, she testified that she does not think that David 

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requires nursing staff and medical information for him to be safe at school.” Id. This page of the 

transcript, however, reflects the testimony of Ms. Swanson-Houston. See TR 1212. This 

misleading citation aside, the rest of Plaintiffs’ argument can be distilled down to the proposition 

that because Ms. Swanson-Houston cares for David when he is not in school, and because she is 

not a nurse, David is not a “nurse-dependent pupil.” This argument ignores the thrust of RN 

Keenan’s testimony. RN Keenan describes David as “one of the most intensive [sic] managed 

students with one of the highest degrees of medical complexity,” TR 1176, and testified that 

“anyone providing direct care . . . for David should be a licensed nurse with detailed experience 

with David’s symptoms [and] David’s communication needs.” TR 1172–73. Given this 

testimony and the lack of any contrary evidence in the record, the ALJ did not err. 

Seventh, Plaintiff contends the ALJ erred by unilaterally rewriting District Issue 

#1 in a way that “narrowed [the scope of] the issue” so that it “substantially favored the 

defendants.” Pls.’ MSJ 24:20–25:25. The issue was phrased before and after the hearing, 

respectively, as follows: 

[Before the OAH hearing:] Does the District’s August 19, 2013 

IEP, including its offer of one-to-one LVN employed by either 

County or District, provide Student with a FAPE in the least 

restrictive environment? 

Defs.’ Resp. UMF 17:3–6. 

[In the ALJ’s final decision:] Whether the District’s August 19, 

2013 IEP denied student a FAPE by failing to offer an appropriate 

nurse. 

OAH Decision 5. 

An ALJ may generally rephrase an issue when the changes are “inconsequential” 

and do not change the ALJ’s consideration of the parties’ arguments. See J.W., 626 F.3d at 442 

(affirming an ALJ’s reorganization of an issue when the “reorganization was inconsequential to 

[the student]” and the ALJ still addressed the student’s arguments). Here, although the ALJ 

rewrote the issue to focus on the dispositive dispute in this case, the dispute over David’s nurse, 

he still considered the August 19, 2013 IEP as a whole. For instance, the ALJ discussed in detail 

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the terms of the August 19 IEP, noting David’s educational progress, performance, and goals; 

medical needs; and specialized academic instruction. OAH Decision Factual Findings ¶¶ 29–37. 

The ALJ also considered David’s unique communication needs, OAH Decision Legal 

Conclusions ¶ 18; the “nature, severity, and complexity of [David]’s diabetes, id. ¶ 10; and 

David’s sensitivity to “environmental factors, including noise and the number of peers” in his 

classroom, id. ¶ 21. It is clear from the ALJ’s decision that the changes he made to the issue were 

inconsequential because they did not change his consideration of Plaintiffs’ arguments. 

Finally, Plaintiff argues the ALJ “misstated, misapplied, and ignored relevant law” 

by failing to cite Title 5 California Code of Regulations section 604 and by citing a vacated case, 

Am. Nurses Ass’n v. O’Connell, 185 Cal. App. 4th 393, review granted and opinion superseded 

sub nom. Am. Nurses Ass’n v. O’Connell, 239 P.3d 651 (Cal. 2010), and rev’d sub nom. Am. 

Nurses Ass’n v. Torlakson, 57 Cal. 4th 570 (2013). Pls.’ MSJ 25:26–26:22. However, section 

604 is a permissive regulation providing that a student’s parent or designee may administer the 

student’s medication at school; nothing in the statute suggests a school must allow the parent or 

designee to administer the student’s medication. Cal. Code Regs. tit. 5, § 604(c)–(d) (“The 

pupil’s parent or legal guardian may administer medication to the pupil . . . . An individual 

designated to do so by the parent or legal guardian may administer medication to the pupil . . . .”). 

Additionally, the ALJ cited Am. Nurses Ass’n v. O’Connell only for the proposition that the 

administration of insulin for diabetes management requires medically related training. OAH 

Decision Legal Conclusions ¶ 7. The case was reversed on other grounds, and the proposition 

that the administration of insulin, even when completed by unlicensed individuals, requires 

training remains good law. See Torlakson, 57 Cal. 4th at 591 (observing that California 

“permit[s] trained, unlicensed school personnel to administer prescription medications, including 

insulin, in accordance with written statements of individual students' treating physicians, with 

parental consent . . .”). 

For the above-stated reasons, Plaintiffs’ arguments are without merit. The ALJ’s 

decision reviewed together with the transcript from the due process hearing demonstrates that the 

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ALJ considered all of the evidence and issues presented carefully and impartially. This court 

therefore affords substantial weight to the ALJ’s findings. 

IV. FINDINGS SUPPORTED BY A PREPONDERANCE OF THE EVIDENCE 

The court’s task, then, is to determine whether a preponderance of the evidence 

supports the ALJ’s findings that Defendants did not deny David a FAPE. This court’s inquiry is 

twofold. The “procedural prong” requires the court to consider whether the state complied with 

the procedures set forth in the IDEA. Amanda J. v. Clark Cty. Sch. Dist., 267 F.3d 877, 890 (9th 

Cir. 2001); Rowley, 458 U.S. at 206–07. Under the “substantive prong,” the court must determine 

if the IEP developed through those procedures was reasonably calculated to enable the child to 

receive educational benefits. Amanda J., 267 F.3d at 890; Rowley, 458 U.S. at 206–07. 

A. Compliance with IDEA Procedures 

In analyzing whether the District offered David a FAPE under the IDEA, the court 

first evaluates whether Defendants complied with the IDEA’s procedural requirements. Rowley, 

458 U.S. at 206–07. Not every procedural violation results in the denial of a FAPE, however. 

J.L., 592 F.3d at 953. A procedural violation denies a FAPE if it “results in the loss of an 

educational opportunity, seriously infringes the parents’ opportunity to participate in the IEP 

formulation process or causes a deprivation of educational benefits.” Id.; 20 U.S.C. 

§ 1415(f)(3)(E)(ii). Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment focuses only on alleged substantive 

deficiencies in Defendants’ provision of a FAPE—specifically, who should provide David with 

diabetic care during the school day. Plaintiffs conceded at hearing that Defendants did not violate 

IDEA’s procedural safeguards. Furthermore, nothing in the record suggests such violations, and 

the ALJ found that Defendants consistently offered David a FAPE. This court independently has 

examined the procedures giving rise to this case and finds that all of the requirements of 

20 U.S.C. § 1415 were met. Therefore, the court finds this prong is satisfied. 

B. Substantive Sufficiency of the FAPE 

Having found that Defendants complied with the procedural requirements of the 

IDEA, the court must determine whether the FAPE Defendants offered to David satisfied the 

substantive prong of the Rowley test. Amanda J., 267 F.3d at 890. Plaintiffs assert that 

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Defendants denied David a FAPE by refusing to allow his mother or her designee to provide his 

diabetes care during the school day. Pls.’ MSJ 26:22–27:9. However, Plaintiffs produced no 

credible evidence at the due process hearing showing it was necessary for Defendants to allow 

Ms. Swanson-Houston or her designee to provide David’s diabetic care for him to receive a 

FAPE. Rather, the ALJ’s determination that this argument was a red herring, and that Plaintiffs’ 

true motive was to force Defendants to have LVN Anderson care for David at school, is 

supported by Plaintiffs’ instant motion before the court. First, Plaintiffs acknowledge that 

Defendants asked Ms. Swanson-Houston to “come to school to train the newly hired LVN[, and 

she] responded that she was unavailable to provide training.” Id. at 14:24–27. Then, in the very 

next sentence, Plaintiffs argue Ms. Swanson-Houston requested that she be allowed to “waive 

medical liability and provide [David’s] care herself.” Id. at 14:27–15:01. Given David’s serious 

medical needs, these positions are logically inconsistent; if she was available to care for David the 

entire school day, it stands to reason she could have made herself available to help train a new 

LVN. This inconsistency, coupled with a review of Ms. Swanson-Houston’s correspondence 

with Defendants, wherein she repeatedly demands they reinstate LVN Armstrong, supports the 

ALJ’s determination that her testimony that she would have provided David’s nursing services 

was not credible. The ALJ was in the best position to assess Ms. Swanson-Houston’s credibility 

because his observation of her live testimony enabled him “to see [her] physical reactions to 

questions, to assess [her] demeanor, and to hear the tone of [her] voice.” Ms. S. ex rel. G. v. 

Vashon Island Sch. Dist., 337 F.3d 1115, 1127 (9th Cir. 2003) (quoting United States v. Mejia, 69 

F.3d 309, 315 (9th Cir. 1995)), superseded on other grounds by 20 U.S.C. § 1414(d)(1)(B); 

Amanda J., 267 F.3d at 889 (finding, in the IDEA context, that the administrative hearing officer 

“who receives live testimony is in the best position to determine issues of credibility”). 

Accordingly, his credibility findings are entitled to deference on this appeal. 

Plaintiffs also argue David was denied a FAPE because Defendants made David’s 

special education contingent on the signing of a form that itself indicated signing the form was 

voluntary. Pls.’ MSJ 27:9–22. This argument ignores the next sentence of the form, which states 

that not signing will not affect Defendants’ “commitment” to providing David with a quality 

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education. Id. (citing AR 385; TR 962, 967). A preponderance of the evidence supports the 

ALJ’s findings that regardless of whether Ms. Swanson-Houston signed the authorization form, 

Defendants remained committed to offering David a FAPE, and that the voluntariness of the form 

has no bearing on whether the IEP offered to David satisfied the requirements under the IDEA. 

Plaintiffs’ final argument is that Defendants’ choice of nurse did not constitute 

provision of a FAPE in the least restrictive environment. Id. at 27:22–30:20. However, Plaintiffs 

conceded at hearing that there is no authority supporting their position that an IEP must identify 

the designated LVN by name for a student to receive a FAPE. Additionally, the ALJ determined 

that Defendants “stood ready and willing to provide [David with] a special education,” and that 

they employed a qualified nurse who could “provide the same duration, frequency and modality” 

of the LVN service set forth in David’s IEP. OAH Decision Legal Conclusions ¶ 28. The ALJ 

also found RN Anderson, with twenty-three years’ experience practicing as a registered nurse, 

had “extensive experience assessing and providing direct treatment for students with diabetes, 

including those who were non-verbal, with autism, and with serious degrees of type-one 

diabetes.” Id. ¶ 19. The ALJ also found RN Anderson “was directly familiar with [David], his 

means of communication, his complex diabetic requirements, and how to care for his rapidly 

changing diabetic needs.” Id. A preponderance of evidence supports the ALJ’s finding that RN 

Anderson “had the requisite experience, training, and credentialing required of her role.” Id.

A preponderance of the evidence also supports the ALJ’s determination that the 

August 19, 2013 IEP was “reasonably calculated to enable the child to receive educational 

benefits.” Rowley, 458 U.S. at 207, quoted in OAH Decision Legal Conclusions ¶ 3. For 

instance, the IEP offered David a one-to-one nurse for 420 minutes daily, five days per week. 

AR 492–526. It provided David with individual nursing services at home prior to school, during 

the bus ride to school, the entirety of the school day, the bus ride home, and at David’s home after 

school. Id. The IEP reviewed his progress and performance, and adopted new goals. Id. It 

provided specialized academic instruction in a special day class. Id. Three independent assessors 

as well as RN Anderson and LVN Armstrong each testified at the OAH hearing, and all five 

agreed the August 19, 2013 IEP was appropriate to meet David’s unique needs. The ALJ found 

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that Plaintiffs “failed to provide any [credible] evidence or elicit any [credible] testimony” that 

indicated David required additional or different nursing services than those offered in the IEP. 

OAH Decision Legal Conclusions ¶ 17. The record is clear that, at the very least, the August 19, 

2013 IEP provided David with the required basic “floor of opportunity.” See J.L., 592 F.3d at 

947 (observing that schools are obligated to provide “a ‘basic floor of opportunity’ to disabled 

students, not a ‘potential-maximizing education’” (quoting Rowley, 458 U.S. at 197 n. 21)); 

Anchorage Sch. Dist. v. M.P., 689 F.3d 1047, 1057 (9th Cir. 2012) (same). 

For the foregoing reasons, a preponderance of the evidence supports the 

conclusion Defendants offered David a FAPE. Plaintiffs have not met their burden of persuading 

this court that the ALJ’s decision should be reversed. J.W., 626 F.3d at 438 (“[T]he party 

challenging the administrative decision bears the burden of persuasion on each claim 

challenged.”). The court GRANTS Defendants’ motion for summary judgment and DENIES 

Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment under the IDEA. 

V. SECTION 504 OF THE REHABILITATION ACT 

Under Section 504, “[n]o otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the 

United States . . . shall, solely, by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the 

participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or 

activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” 29 U.S.C. § 794(a). The Ninth Circuit has stated 

that: 

[t]o establish a violation of § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, 

[Plaintiffs] must show that (1) the student is handicapped within the 

meaning of the Rehabilitation Act; (2) the student is otherwise 

qualified for the benefit or services sought; (3) the student was 

denied the benefit or services solely by reason of [his] handicap; 

and (4) the program providing the benefit or services receives 

federal financial assistance. 

Lovell v. Chandler, 303 F.3d 1039, 1052 (9th Cir. 2002). 

Implementing a valid IEP under the IDEA satisfies the substantive and procedural 

portions of Section 504. See Mark H. v. Lemahieu, 513 F.3d 922, 933 (9th Cir. 2008). Because 

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Defendants offered David a FAPE under the IDEA, Plaintiffs cannot recover under Section 504. 

The court GRANTS Defendants’ motion for summary judgment and DENIES Plaintiffs’ motion 

for summary judgment under Section 504. 

VI. CONCLUSION 

For the foregoing reasons, the court affirms the ALJ’s decision as supported by the 

preponderance of the evidence. The record shows that Defendants provided David with a FAPE 

on and after February 19, 2013 and in the August 19, 2013 IEP. Defendants’ motion for 

summary judgment is hereby GRANTED, and plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment is 

DENIED. This order resolves ECF Nos. 44 and 46. The Clerk of the Court shall enter judgment 

in favor of Defendants. CASE CLOSED. 

IT IS SO ORDERED. 

DATED: October 13, 2016. 

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