Opinion ID: 201492
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The IDEA and the Massachusetts Special Education Law

Text: 17 The IDEA was enacted to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education... designed to meet their unique needs. 20 U.S.C § 1400(d)(1)(A). 6 In order to determine whether a child has a disability for purposes of the IDEA, and to evaluate the particular needs of that child if deemed eligible for special education services, an IEP Team is to convene and prepare an IEP. Id. §§ 1414(d)(1)(A) & (B). In the event the state or local educational agencies do not follow this procedure, for example by not convening an IEP Team meeting when required, not preparing and implementing an IEP in a timely fashion, or not preparing an IEP that adequately addresses the needs of the child, the IDEA provides certain procedural safeguards, including the right to an impartial due process administrative hearing, see id. § 1415(f), 7 and a right to appeal an adverse decision in that hearing to the federal district court, see id. § 1415(i)(2). The IDEA also provides that the parents of a child with a disability who is the prevailing party in such an administrative proceeding or law suit may recover, in the court's discretion, reasonable attorneys' fees. Id. § 1415(i)(3)(B). 18 The award of attorneys' fees for a prevailing party under the IDEA is subject to certain limitations, including one that provides: Attorneys' fees may not be awarded relating to any meeting of the IEP Team unless such meeting is convened as a result of an administrative proceeding or judicial action... Id. § 1415(i)(3)(D)(ii). Chelsea's Parents contend that an award under this paragraph is not subject to the prevailing party requirements of the general IDEA provision dealing with the award of attorneys' fees, id. § 1415(i)(3)(B)(i). We disagree. Section 1415(i)(3)(B) of Title 20 clearly provides that the prevailing party requirement applies to  any action or proceeding brought under this section.  (Emphasis added.). This section refers to section 1415, and includes all administrative and civil actions brought under the IDEA. 19