2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit 2-12-2009 

# P . v . W i s s ahick on S ch D i s t P r e c e de nt i al or N on-P r e c e de nt i al : N on-P r e c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 07-3595

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Thi s de c i sion i s br ou ght t o you for f r e e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Thir d C ir c uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

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w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " P . v . W i s s ahickon S ch Di s t " (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1873. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thir dc ir c uit_2009/1873NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT N o. 07- 3595 LAUREN P . , A M I NOR, B Y A N D T H R O U G H H E R P A R E N T S , D A V ID A N D A N N M A R IE P .; DAVI D P . ; ANNMARI E P . , ADUL T S , I NDI VI DUAL L Y,

AN D O N TH EI R O W N B EHA LF

v. W I SS AH I CK ON SCHO OL D I STRI CT,

A ppel l ant O n A p p ea l from the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt forthe E as t ern D i s tr i ctof Penns y l vani a D i s tr i ctC our tN o. 05- cv- 05196 S e n io r D is tr ic t J u d g e : T h e H o n o ra b le T h o m a s N . O ’N e ill, J r.

A r gued J anuary29, 2009 B e f o re : S C IR IC A , C hi ef

Judge, A M B R O , a n d S M IT H , C i r cui tJudges ( Fi l ed: February12, 2009 )

Fr eder i ck M . St ancz ak, E s q. C har l es W ei ner , E s q. 179 N or th B r oad Str eet D oy l es t ow n, PA 18901 C ouns el f orAppel l ee s Scot tH . W ol pert , E s q. Ti mon e yKno x , LLPA s w e w r i t e forthe bene fi tof the part i es al one, w ho ar e fa m i l i arw i th the 1 fac t s and pr ocedur al hi s t oryof thi s cas e, w e conf i ne ourdi s cus s i on t o the l egal i s s ues p re s e n te d a n d in c lu d e o n ly th o s e f a c ts n e c e s s a ry to o u r d is p o s itio n .

2 400 M ary l and D r i ve P. O . B ox 7544 For tW as hi ngt on, PA 19034 C ouns el f orAppel lant

OP I NI ON

S M IT H , C i r cui tJudge. A ppel l antW i s s ahi ckon School D i s tr i ct( “W i s s ahi ckon”) appea l s an or derr equi r i ng i tt o pr ovi de compens at oryeduca t i on and tui t i on r ei m bur s ementt o the par ent s of Laur en P . (“p lain tiff

s” ). F o r th e re a so n s th a t f o llo w , w e w ill a f

f irm in p a rt a n d re v e rse in p a rt. I. L au ren P . (“L au ren ”) su ff ers f rom A tt en ti o n D ef

ici t H yp era cti v ityD isord er, an x iety , d ep ression , an d learn ing d isab il it ies. H er d isab il it ies, in turn , ren d er h er m o re 1 s us cept i bl e t o behavi or al and mot i vat i on pr obl ems. L aur en att ended s chool i n the W is s a h ic k o n S c h o o l D is tr ic t th ro u g h S e p te m b e r 2 0 0 3 . T h e In d iv id u a ls w ith D isa b ili ties E d u c a tio n A c t (“ ID E A ” ) re q u ire s th a t a s tate r ece i vi ng fede r al educa t i on fundi ng pr ovi de a “ fr ee appr opr i at e publ i c educ at i on” ( “FA PE ”) t o di s abl ed chi l dr en. 20 U . S. C . § 1412( 1) . School di s tr i ct s des i gn and admi ni s t era pr ogr am of i ndi vi dual i zed i ns truct i on thati s s etfor th i n an I ndi vi dual i zed3

E du cat i on P l an (“I E P ”) i n o rdert o p rovi de a F A P E . 20 U . S . C . § 1 41 4(d). T he IE P m ust c o n f e r “ sig n if

ica n t lea rn in g ” a n d “ m e a n in g f u l b e n e f it” o n th e c h ild , an d th is s tan d a rd is “gauge d i n r el at i on t o t he chi l d’ s pot ent i al . ” P o lk v . C e n t. Su sq u e h a n n a In ter m e d ia te U ni t16 , 8 5 3 F .2 d 1 7 1 , 1 8 2

– 8 5 (3 d C ir . 1 9 8 8 ). In N o v em b er 2 0 0 1 , W issah icko n d ev elop ed an IE P fo r th e re m aind er o f L au ren ’s ni nth gr ade y ear( 2001–2002) t o addr es s defi ci enci es i n w r i t i ng, m ath, r eadi ng, and or gani zat i onal and s tudys ki l l s . I ts ubs equent l ydevel oped I E Ps forL aur en’ s t enth and e le v e n th g ra d e s c h o o l yea rs , w h ic h w e re f ro m 2 0 0 2

– 2 0 0 3 a n d 2 0 0 3

– 2 0 0 4 , re s p e c tiv e ly. I n Sept ember2003, pl ai nt i ffs uni l at er al l yr emoved L aur en fr om W i s s ahi ckon and e n ro lle d h e r i n th e D e la w a re V a lle yF ri e n d s S c h o o l ( “ D V F S ” ). I n F e b ru a r y2 0 0 4 , p l a i n t i f f s r e q u e s t e d a d u e p r o c e s s h e a r i n g p u r s u a n tt o 3 4 C. F . R. § 300. 507 and s oughtcompensa t oryeduca t i on forL aur en’ s ni nth and t enth gr ade s chool y ear s and tui t i on r ei m bur s ementforherel eventh gr ade s chool y ear . U pon the conc l us i on of the hea r i ng, the H ear i ng O ffi cerdeni ed al l r el i ef t o the pl ai nt i ffs . T he pl ai nt i ffs a p p e a led th is d e c isio n to th e P e n n sy lv a n ia S p e c ial E d u c a tio n A p p e a ls P a n e l (“ A p p e a ls P an el”). T h e A p p ea ls Pa n el af firm ed in p art an d rev erse d in p art, aw ard ing co m p en sato ry educa t i on forpartof Laur en’ s t enth gr ade s chool y earbutdeny i ng pl ai nt i ffs ’ r eques tfor tu itio n re im b u rs e m e n t. Pl ai nt i ffs fi l ed a c om pl ai nti n Sept ember2005 i n the East ern D i s tr i ctof Penns y l vani a cha l l engi ng the fi nal deci s i on of the A ppeal s Panel . W i s s ahi ckon fi l ed a count er cl ai m , and both part i es m oved fors um m aryj udgm ent . I n i t s deci s i on, the D i s tr i ctN eith er the A p p ea ls Pa n el no r th e D istri ct C o u rtaw ard ed co m p en sato ry 2 e d u c a tio n f

o r L a u re n ’s n in th g ra d e y e a r. P lain tiff s h a v e n o t ap p e a led th is iss u e to th is C o u rt . T h e D is tr ic t C o u rt h a d ju ri s d ic tio n p u rs u a n t to 2 8 U .S .C . § § 1 3 3 1 , 1 3 4 3 .

3 T h is C o u rt h a s ju ri s d ic tio n u n d e r 2 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 9 1 . 4 C our taw ar ded compens at oryeduca t i on form os tof Laur en’ s t enth gr ade y earand tui t i on re im b u rse m e n t f

o r h e r e lev e n th g ra d e y e a r a t D V F S . W iss a h ick o n c h a llen g e s th is 2 d e c isio n in th is C o u rt. 3 II. In th e e v en t th at a stud en t has b ee n d en ied a F A P E , a c o u rtm ayaw ard c o m p e n s a to ry e d u c a tio n to a c c o u n t f o r t h e p e ri o d th e s tu d e n t w a s d e p ri v e d o f th is ri g h t. Car l is l e Ar e a Sc h . v . Sc o t tP. , 62 F. 3d 520, 536 ( 3d C i r . 1995) . T he r i ghtt o a c o m p e n sa to rye d u c a tio n “ a c c ru e [ s] f ro m th e p o in t th a t th e sc h o o l d istric t k n o w s o r sh o u ld know of the I E P’ s fai l ur e. ” I d. I n thi s cas e, the H ear i ng O ffi cerconcl uded thatW i s s ahi ckon pr ovi ded Laur en a FA PE dur i ng herni nth and t enth gr ade y ear s gi ven the l evel of s uppor tand i ns truct i on o f f e re d a n d th a t th e IE P s “ w e re im p le m e n te d a s w ri tte n .” T h e A p p e a ls P a n e l r e v e rs e d . T h e P a n e l f

o u n d th a t d istra c tab ili tyw a s p a rt o f L a u re n ’s d isa b ili ty , tha t th is d isa b ili ty aff ect ed herent i r e s chool day , and thatthe s chool had not i ce thatherI E P w as not w o rk in g . W h e n r e v i e w i n g th i s d e c i s i o n , th e D i s tr i c tC o u rtm u s tm a k e i t s “ o w n f i n d i n g s b y a p rep o n d era n ce o f th e e v iden ce , ” w h il e a lso “ af fo rd[ ing ] ‘du e w eigh t’ to the A L J’s5

det erm i nat i on. ” Shor e Reg’ lHigh Sch. B d. of E d. v. P . S. , 3 8 1 F . 3 d 1 9 4 , 1 9 9 (3d C ir . 2004) . T he “due w ei ght ” s t andar d r equi r es the courtt o cons i derthe “[ f] actual fi ndi ngs f ro m th e a d m in istra tiv e p ro c e e d in g s . . . p rim a f a c ie c o rre c t” a n d , if th e c o u rt f a ils to a d h e re to th o s e f

a c ts , e x p la in w h y . I

d. (i n terna l qu o tat ion m ark s an d cit ati o n o m itted). In a c ase su ch as th is on e, w h ere the h ea ri n g o ff icer an d ap p ea ls pa n el reac h ed co n tr ary deci s i ons , a di s tr i ctcourtgi ves “due w ei ght ” t o the fa ctual fi ndi ngs of the appe al s panel rathe r th an tho se o f th e h ea ri n g o ff icer w h en tho se f

ind ing s are b ase d o n the e v iden ti ary re c o rd . C ar l is l e Area Sc h. , 62 F. 3d at529. Fur therm or e, the di s tr i ctcourtgi ves “due w eigh t” t o the “ ap p ea ls pa n el’s de cisi o n w h en itrev erse s the h ea ri n g o ff icer’s c o n c lu sio n s o f

law , inf e re n c e s f ro m p ro v e n f

a c ts, a n d f

a c tu a l f in d in g s b a se d o n c re d ib ili ty jud g m en ts w h ere n o n -t esti m o n ial , ex tr insic ev iden ce justi fied the a p p ea ls pa n el’s co n tr ary deci s i on. ” I

d. T he D i s tr i ctC our tr eac hed the s ame deci s i on as the A ppeal s Panel on the i s s ue of compensa t oryeduca t i on forL aur en’ s t enth gr ade y ear . T he C our tfound that W issah icko n (1) k n ew o r sho u ld h av e k n o w n that L au ren ’s be h av ioral pro b lem s w ere i m pedi ng hereduca t i on, ( 2) r ecogni zed thatthe I E P w as i nadequa t e, and ( 3) addr es s ed L aur en’ s behavi ori n a pi ece m eal fas hi on r atherthan thr ough a cons i s t entbehavi or m anage m entpl an. W e now exer ci s e pl enaryr evi ew overthe l egal s t andar ds us ed byt he D is tr ic t C o u rt a n d its le g a l c o n c lu s io n s . L a u re n W . v. D e fla m in is , 480 F. 3d 259, 266 ( 3d C ir. 2 0 0 7 ); Shor e Reg’ lHigh Sch. B d. of E d. , 381 F. 3d at199. W e r evi ew the D i s tr i ct C o u rt ’s f a c tu a l f in d in g s f o r c le a r e rr o r. Shor e Reg’ lHigh Sch. B d. of E d. , 381 F. 3d at6

1 9 9 . A ppl y i ng thi s s t andar d of r evi ew , w e w i l l notdi s turb the D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s fac tual f in d in g s o r le g a l co n c lu sio n s a s th e yre late to c o m p e n sa to rye d u c a tio n f o r L a u re n ’s te n th gr ade y ear . T hough w e r ecogni ze thatW i s s ahi ckon made a good- fai th eff or tt o des i gn an educa t i onal pr ogr am t hatw oul d benef i tL aur en, the r ecor d demonstr at es thatby D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 2 h e r b e h a v io ra l p ro b le m s w e re im p e d in g h e r a b ility to le a rn . W i s s ahi ckon’ s fai l ur e t o addr es s thes e beha vi or al pr obl ems i n a s y s t emat i c and c ons i s t ent w ayd en ied L au ren a F A P E . W e w il l aff irm the D istri ct C o u rt ’s aw ard o f c o m p en sato ry e d u c a tio n . III . Par ent s w ho bel i eve thata publ i c s chool i s notpr ovi di ng an appr opr i at e educ at i on m ayuni l at er al l yr emove t he chi l d fr om thats chool , pl ace hi m /heri n anothers chool , and s e e k tu itio n re im b u rs e m e n t f o r t h e c o s t o f

th e a lte rn a te p la c e m e n t. 2 0 U .S .C . § 1 4 1 2 (a)(10 )(c); B ur l i ngt on Sch. C om m . v. D ep’ tof E duc. , 4 7 1 U .S . 3 5 9 , 3 7 4 (1 9 8 5 ). A cou rtm aygranttuit i on rei m bu rs em ent i f t w o elem ents are m et : (1) the stud ent’ s I E P m ust b e in a p p ro p ri a te ; a n d (2 ) t h e p ri v a te p la c e m e n t m u s t b e p ro p e r. R i dgew ood B d. of E duc. v . N. E. , 172 F. 3d 238, 248 ( 3d C i r . 1999) . T he pl ai nt i ffs have the bur den of de m ons tr at i ng b o th e le m e n ts . A ndr ew M. v. D el . C ount y O f f i ce of MentalHeal th and Mental R etar dat i on , 4 9 0 F .3 d 3 3 7 , 3 4 5 (3 d C ir. 2 0 0 7 ); R i dgew ood B d. of E duc. , 1 7 2 F .3 d a t 2 4 8 . W e di s agr ee w i th t he D i s tr i ctC our tthatD V FS w as a pr operpl ace m ent . T he A ppeal s Panel found thatD V FS w as nota pr operpl ace m entbeca us e i t“[di d] not7

s uffi ci ent l yaddr es s Student ’ s on- goi ng needs i n as s i gnm entcompl et i on, di s tr act i on m ovi ng t o and fr om cl as s , l os i ng as s i gnm ent s , notcompl et i ng as s i gnm ent s , and s o for th. ” T h e D istric t C o u rt d isc o u n ted th is, a rg u in g th a t th e P a n e l “d id n o t ex p lain f u rth e r its concl us i on orci t e t o t he r ecor d fors uppor t . ” Y etthe C our tal s o r ecogni zed thatthe “D V FS IEP di d notaddr es s L aur en’ s behavi or al pr obl ems” a nd the C ourtfur therfound

“ in d ic a tio n s o f

th e in a p p ro p ri a te n e s s o f L a u re n ’s p ri v a te p la c e m e n t” in th e re c o rd . N onethel es s , i taw ar ded tui t i on r ei m bur s ementbas ed on the fa ctthatD V FS’s educa t i onal pl an forL aur en ac know l edged a nd tr i ed t o addr es s pr obl ems s uch as L aur en’ s l ow s el fe s te e m , la c k o f

c o n f id e n c e , a n d a u d ito ry p ro c e s s in g d if f ic u ltie s . A s s t at ed pr evi ous l y , a di s tr i ctcourti s r equi r ed t o expl ai n i t s deci s i on t o r ej ect admi ni s tr at i ve fi ndi ngs . T he D i s tr i ctC our tfai l ed t o do s o i n thi s i ns t ance . I tdi d not poi ntt o anyevi dence i n t he r ecor d thatunderm i ned the A ppeal s Panel ’ s fi ndi ng that D V F S f a ile d to a d e q u a te ly ad d re s s s o m e o f L a u re n ’s m o s t c ri tic a l b e h a v io ra l p ro b le m s . In ste a d , the D istric t C o u rt a p p e a rs to h a v e re a c h e d a c o n tra ryd e c isio n b a se d u p o n its w ei ghi ng of thi s fai l ur e aga i ns tw hati tper cei ved as s tr engths i n the D V FS educat i onal pl an. T he out come of suc h a w ei ghi ng, how ever , m us tbe bas ed upon a pr eponder ance of the evi dence . L aur en’ s pr i m arybehavi or al di ffi cul t i es w er e di s tr act abi l i tyand assi gn m ent com plet i on . T he fa i l ure of the D V F S edu cat i on al plan t o ad dress these pr obl ems coul d notbe over come bya r ecogni t i on of Laur en’ s l ow s el f- es t eem and a gener al i zed s chool curr i cul um bui l tar ound s m al l cl as s s i zes . W hen w e af for d due w ei ght t o the A ppeal s Panel ’ s fi ndi ng i n t hi s cas e thatD V FS w as nota pr operpl ace m ent , w e s ee8

n o b a sis o n w h ich to o v e rtu rn th a t d e ter m in a tio n . T h e D istric t C o u rt e rre d b yf a ili n g to heed the “d ue w ei gh t ” st and ard and byaw ardi ng tuit i on rei m bu rs em ent. W e w i l l rever se the D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s gr antof tui t i on r ei m bur s ementforL aur en’ s el eventh gr ade y earat D V F S .