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________________ L y d ia R e b e c c a G a sk in , a m in o r, b yh e r p a re n ts J o se p h a n d K a re n G a sk in ; H a ss a n A d ib S a b re e , a m in o r, b yh is m o th e r H a n a S a b re e ; M e rrin R a in e y , a m in o r b yh e r p a re n ts T hom as and Li nda R ai ney ; Sam uel L ucki nbi l l , a mi nor , byhi s par ent s T hom as and W en d yL u ck inb il l; L isa M cC an n , a m ino r, b yh er m o ther L isa M cC an n ; E li za b eth M o ser, a mi nor , byherm otherG i ovanna M os er ; A nne C orr , a mi nor , byherfos t erpar ent s and n e x t f rie n d s P a trick a n d Ju d ith C o rr; B re tt M ich a e l K o n e sk i, a m in o r, b yh is p a re n ts J amea and D aw n K ones ki ; M i chae l W i nt er i ng, a mi nor , byhi s par ent s , M i chae l and N ancyW i nt er i ng; Sar ah N oe, a mi norbyherpar ent s R ol and and J ani ce N oe; T i ffa ny Z im e n o f f , a m in o r, b yh e r p a re n ts R ich a rd a n d R o b in Z im e n o f f; A R C P A , o n b e h a lf

o f its m ember s ; Penns y l vani a Pr ot ect i on and A dvocac y , I nc. ; Penns y l vani a C oal i t i on of C i t i zens w i th D i s abi l i t i es , on behal f of i t s m ember s ; PA St at e C onf N A A C P, on behal f of i t s m em bers; A uti sm S up po rtand A dv ocacyi n P enn sy l van i a, on beh al f of i t s m em bers; P h ilad e lp h ia P o lice & F ire A ss o c iatio n f o r H a n d ica p p e d C h ild re n , o n b e h a lf o f its m e m b e rs; T h e A N D A lli a n c e , o n b e h a lf o f its m e m b e rs; J o h n F o rte , a m in o r, b yh is p a re n ts D a n iel a n d M ich a e len e F o rte

v. C om m onw eal th of Penns y l vani a; Penns y l vani a D epart m entof Educat i on; D onal d M . C arr ol l , J r . , i n hi s offi ci al capa ci tyas Secr et aryof Educat i on, C om m onw eal th of Penns y l vani a; J os eph F. B ar d, i n hi s offi ci al capa ci tyas C om m i s s i onerof El ement aryand SecondaryE ducat i on, Penns y l vani a D epart m entof Educat i on; M i chel l e D es er a, i n her offi ci al capa ci tyas D i r ect or , B ur eau of Speci al E ducat i on, Penns y l vani a D epart m entof E d u c a tio n ; E a rl H . H o rto n ; M a d g e K . B e n o v itz; E . P e ter D e n z in g ; R o n a ld R . C o w e ll; E dw ar d M D onl ey ; K ar l R . G i r t on; E di th W . I s acke ; R . G er al d L ongo; B eatr i ce M oor e; Ja m e s J . R o h a d e s; H o w a rd S e lek m a n , in th e ir o f f icia l ca p a c iti e s a s m e m b e rs o f th e S tate B oar d of Educat i on and the counc i l of bas i c educ at i on

L I N D A J . B R Y A N , Par entPr o Se, 1 A ppel l ant2 ____________________________________ O n A p p ea l Fro m the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt F o r th e E a ste rn D istric t o f P e n n sy lv a n ia ( D . C . N o. 94- cv- 04048) D i s tr i ctJ udge: H onor abl e Eduar do C . R obr eno

_______________________________________ Subm i t t ed U nderT hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

J une 23, 2006 BEFORE: M c KEE, FUEN TES a n d NY GA AR D, CI RCU I T J UD GES ( Fi l ed J ul y25, 2006)

_______________________

OP I NI ON

_______________________ P E R C UR I AM I n Sept ember2005, the U ni t ed St at es D i s tr i ctC our tforthe East ern D i s tr i ctof Penns y l vani a appr oved a s ett l ementagr eementof a c l as s act i on, concl udi ng a l ong and c ompl e x c a s e w hi c h b e ga n s ome e l e ve n y e a r s e a r l i e r . Se e G a s ki n v . Pe nn s y l va ni a , 38 9 F. S up p. 2d 62 8 (E . D . P a. 20 05 ). L i nd a B ry an, the p arentof sev eral no n-nam ed clas s m ember s , appea l s the D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s appr oval of the s ett l ementagr eement . H erw r i t t en obj ect i ons t o t he s ett l ement , fi l ed af t ers he r ece i ved the not i ce of s ett l ements entt o the cl as s , w er e herfi r s t( and onl y ) i nvol vementi n the ca s e i n the D i s tr i ctC our t . Forthe re a so n s b e lo w , w e w ill d ism iss th e a p p e a l. A s an i ni t i al m att er , w e not e thatB ry an i s r epr es ent i ng pro se both her s el f and he r3

chi l dr en. W hi l e s he mayfi l e a not i ce of appea l on behal f of he rchi l dr en, B ry an maynot r epr es ent ed them i n fede r al courtas a non- l aw y erpar ent . O SI - A fr i y i e v. M edi cal C ol l ege of Penns y l vani a, 937 F. 2d 876, 877 ( 3d C i r . 1991) . B ry an w as appr i s ed of thi s vi a l ett er dat ed O ct ober28, 2005, and advi s ed thatunl es s s he s ecur ed couns el forherchi l dr en w ith in tw e n ty-o n e d a y s , th e ira p p e a l w o u ld b e d is m is s e d f o r f a ilu re to tim e ly p ro s e c u te . S e e 3 rd C ir. L o c a l A p p e llate M isc . R u le 1 0 7 .2 . T h e tim e h a s lo n g p a ss e d , an d w e w ill ther efor e di s m i s s the appe al as t o t he chi l dr en. A s B r y an ca nnotr epr es entherchi l dr en, s he musther s el f have s t andi ng t o appea l the D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s or derappr ovi ng the s ett l ementagr eement . T he Supr eme C our thas hel d thata non- partym us ti nt ervene i n or dert o appea l the appr oval of a c l as s act i on sett lem en t. M arino v . O rt iz, 4 8 4 U . S . 3 0 2 , 3 0 4 (19 8 8 ) (“w e h o ld tha t bec au se p eti ti o n ers w er e notpart i es t o t he under l y i ng l aw s ui t , and bec aus e theyfai l ed t o i nt ervene f or p u rpo ses o f a p p ea l, theym ayn o t app ea l from the c o n sen t dec ree ap p rov ing that law su it ’s s e ttle m e n t” ). I tappea r s thatB r y an di d att empt t o i nt ervene. H ow ever , hers ubm i s s i on di d not compl yw i th F ED . R. C IV . P . 24 . T he m oti on t o int ervene – t o the ext ent i tm aybe so t erm ed – cons i s t s of no m or e than a port i on of a s ent ence on the l as tpage of a document she fi l ed ti t l ed “O bject i on s t o S et t l em ent of C l ass A ct i on byP arentP ro Se, Linda J. B ry a n .” S e e B ry a n ’s A p p e n d ix , d o c . 2 5 a t p . 2 6 (“ p a re n t re q u e sts p e rm iss io n to jo in cl as s - act i on s ui t ”) ( form att i ng change d) . Pur s uantt o R ul e 24( c) , a mot i on t o i nt ervene“s hal l s t at e the gr ounds ther eforand s hal l be ac compani ed bya pl eadi ng s ett i ng for th the

c laim o r d e f

e n se f o r w h ich in ter v e n tio n is s o u g h t.” B ry a n ’s s u b m iss io n p ro v id e d n o b a sis f o r th e D istric t C o u rt to d e ter m in e w h e th e r h e r c laim s h a v e “ a q u e stio n o f f a c t o r la w ” in comm on w i th t he G as ki n l aw s ui t . R ather , the tw enty - s i x pages of r ambl i ng obj ect i ons an d q u esti o n s sh e su b m itted to the D istri ct C o u rtd o n o t m ee t th e m inim al st an d ard fo r a pr operpl eadi ng and, s o faras w e ca n det erm i ne, cont ai n no ar gum ent s oral l egat i ons t hat m eani ngful l yr el at e t o t he G as ki n cas e. A l though w e cons true a pro se li ti g an t’ s pl eadi ngs l i ber al l y , D l uhos v. St r as ber g, 321 F. 3d 365, 369 ( 3d C i r . 2003) , w e ca nnot cons true B r y an’ s documentas a val i d m ot i on. Forthes e r eas ons , w e do notfaul tthe D is tr ic t C o u rt f

o r t a k in g n o a c tio n o n h e r m o tio n . I tfol l ow s , how ever , thatB r y an di d noti nt ervene. A s a r es ul t , s he l acks s t andi ng t o appea l the or derappr ovi ng the s ett l ementagr eement . S. E . C . v. B l ack, 163 F. 3d 188, 1 9 6 (3 d C ir. 1 9 9 8 ) (s tatin g th a t “ Mar i no onl yr equi r es thata courtdenyan appe al fr om non- part i es w ho have notobt ai ned ors oughti nt ervenors t atus . ”) . W e w i l l , ther efor e, d ism iss h e r a p p e a l as w e ll.

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