Opinion ID: 1453516
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Interpersonal relationships

Text: Relying on Dr. Solomon's conclusions, appellants claim the SEHO and the district court disregarded overwhelming evidence of R.B.'s inability to build or maintain relationships. We disagree. The SEHO openly acknowledged the conflicting evidence regarding whether R.B. could maintain satisfactory relationships and cited testimony on both sides. The SEHO found that R.B. could maintain relationships and firmly grounded that conclusion in the record. Gardner testified about R.B.'s friendship with her daughter, and R.B.'s fifth-grade teacher and principal both testified that R.B. had friends. The SEHO also found that R.B. developed satisfactory relationships with school personnel. This finding is important because the regulation considers relationships with peers and teachers.  34 C.F.R. § 300.7(c)(4)(B) (2003); Cal.Code Regs. tit. 5 § 3030(i)(2) (emphasis added); cf. Fresno Unified Sch. Dist., 39 IDELR 28, at 7 (CA SEA Jan. 16, 2003) (explaining that the regulation sets a high standard to meet as it requires [the student's] difficulties to be both with peers and teachers  (emphasis added)). The record fully supports the SEHO's conclusion. For example, R.B. had such a good relationship with her third grade teacher that, as a fifth grader, R.B. occasionally visited the third grade classroom to tutor students in reading. R.B.'s fifth-grade teacher attended R.B.'s year-end music recital. The principal testified that she had a great relationship with R.B., who would read to the principal in her office and talk with her on the playground about future plans. Although Solomon opined that R.B. could not form satisfactory relationships with teachers, the SEHO reasonably discounted the weight of that testimony because Solomon did not observe R.B. at school or speak to school personnel. CSEA decisions regularly give little weight to the opinions of experts who do not consult school personnel. Ventura Unified Sch. Dist., 102 LRP 7625, at 17 (CA SEA Nov. 21, 2000); Williams Unified Sch. Dist. & Colusa County Office of Ed., 26 IDELR 1198, at 10 (CA SEA Aug. 21, 1997). The testimony of Brandt and Morrison confirms that R.B. became able to form friendships with peers and teachers at Intermountain. Brandt testified that R.B. overcame initial hostility toward classmates and developed several peer friendships. Morrison likewise testified that R.B. began to describe one peer as a best friend and developed strong relationships with adult counselors. Deferring to the SEHO's findings, a preponderance of the evidence shows that R.B. was able to build and maintain satisfactory relationships with peers and teachers during her fifth grade year at Donaldson Way and her first year at Intermountain. Therefore, R.B. was not eligible for IDEA relief under this prong.