Source: https://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/06/nl.0822.htm
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 20:24:40+00:00

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1. Judge Rules, "To Allow School Bd to Avoid Obligations Would Be Unconscionable"
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1. Judge Rules, "To Allow the School Board to Avoid Its Obligations Would Be Unconscionable"
In the May 31 issue of The Special Ed Advocate, you learned about the powerful, pro-child decision in Henrico County School Board v. R.T.
R. T. is a child with autism. In 2002, R.T.'s parents removed him from the public school gram and placed him into the Faison School, a private school that uses one-on-one ABA therapy to educate children with autism.
In the first decision in Henrico County School Board v. R. T., U. S. District Court Judge Payne awarded the parents reimbursement for their child's tuition at the school.
The Judge found that the school district knowingly and repeatedly failed to provide an appropriate educational program for a young child with autism and slammed the School Board for "inertia."
On June 14, Judge Payne issued a second decision in R.T.'s case.
Henrico County School Board v. R. T.-2 deals with reimbursement for the child's tuition after the Hearing Officer issued a favorable decision. The School Board argued that they were not bound by a regulation that required them to reimburse the parents because the regulation violated the the Spending Clause of the Constitution.
In this decision, the Judge analyzed the School Board's argument and why it cannot be upheld:"Having agreed to comply with the IDEA ... and having accepted and spent federal IDEA funding, the School Board cannot now avoid the obligations ... to allow that would be unconscionable ... it would offend every principle of equity and good morals to permit (a party to a transaction) to enjoy its benefits and at the same time deny its terms and conditions."
The second decision in Henrico School Bd v. R.T.-2 includes an excellent discussion of FAPE, least restrictive environment (LRE), the use of due process hearings to resolve disagreements about a child's program or placement, when school districts must reimburse parents for a private placement, the 10 day notice letter, requirements that states must meet to receive federal funding under IDEA.
R. T. is a young child with autism. His parents removed him from the public school special education program and placed him into the Faison School. Later, the parents requested a due process hearing where they received a favorable decision. The school system appealed.
U. S. District Court Judge Payne found that “At the Faison School, RT flourished” and made “rapid and significant progress.” Within a few months, "RT went from being a nonverbal child to speaking at least 100 words."
The decisions in Henrico County School Board v. R. T. and Henrico County School Board v. R.T.-2 are comprehensive and include excellent points that provide logic and quotes to use in briefs and judicial decisions.
In this Analysis of Henrico County School Board v. R.T., Pete Wright discusses the first decision, including Burden of Proof and Burden of Persuasion after the U. S. Supreme Court ruling in Schaffer v. Weast and the analysis of ABA and TEACCH. The first decision also describes the deference, if any, that should be provided to school board programs, methodology, and to testimony by school board witnesses.
More articles in the Special Education Law Library.
Like the parents in Henrico School Bd v. R.T., the parents in Stephen Jeffers v. School Board placed their child in a school that specializes in educating young children with autism. After the child made good progress, the parents requested that the school district reimburse them for his tuition. When the school district refused, the parents requested a special education due process hearing.
Surviving Due Process: Stephen Jeffers v. School Board takes you through their education due process hearing, from initial preparations to testimony by the final witness. Some of the witnesses for the child in Stephen Jeffers v. School Board were witnesses in Henrico School Bd v. R.T..
Note: Surviving Due Process is not disability-specific. With different evidence and witnesses, this could easily be a case about a child with a different disability or a different legal issue.
If you are like many parents, teachers, and health care providers, you have questions about special education services for children with autism, autism spectrum disorders, Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) and Asperger Syndrome.
If you are the parent of a child with one of these conditions, it is essential that you educate yourself about your child's disability, the impact of the disability on the child's ability to learn, research based educational methods, and how to present your child's problems and needs to school personnel so they want to help.
Visit our updated and revised Autism, ASD, PDD & Asperger Syndrome page for new articles, cases, resources, free publications, and information and support groups.
October 5: Winston-Salem, NC - Special Education Law & Advocacy Training sponsored by CenterPoint Human Services. Speakers: Pete and Pam Wright. Download Registration Form.
October 28: Champaign, IL - Special Education Law & Advocacy Training sponsored by the C-U Autism Network. Speakers: Wayne Steedman and Pat Howey. Download Registration Form.

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