Opinion ID: 801835
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Fifth Claim

Text: MM’s fifth claim alleges that CDE failed to properly supervise and oversee the OAH and its hearing officers. MM argues that § 1415(f) requires that the due process hearing “be conducted by the State educational agency” and therefore, even if CDE contracts with OAH to provide hearing officers, CDE bears ultimate responsibility for the fairness of the hearings. He argues that the FAC alleges “errors by hearing officers, who dismissed claims as time-barred, specifically ignoring IDEA’s knowledge requirement, and who did not reach the primary issue in the complaint which [Lafayette] was required to prove at hearing.” Thus, MM argues that because he disagrees with the ALJ’s decision as to the statute of limitations, CDE is liable for failure to properly oversee its hearing officer because a properly trained and supervised hearing officer would not have incorrectly dismissed a claim as time-barred when it was not time-barred. MM’s approach is not well taken. As CDE points out, OAH is an independent agency, and § 1415(f) requires that the due 6364 M. M. v. LAFAYETTE SCHOOL DISTRICT process hearing be conducted before an independent and impartial hearing officer. If we were to accept MM’s invitation, it would allow a separate federal complaint against the CDE for every case where the parent or student disagrees with an ALJ’s ruling because a properly trained and supervised ALJ would not have made such a ruling. However, the CDE does not have authority or responsibility to directly supervise or review each decision made by an ALJ in a due process hearing.13 Instead, the IDEA provides a right for an aggrieved party to seek judicial review of the merits of the ALJ’s decisions. 20 U.S.C. § 1415(i). [9] MM does not explain why judicial review is not an adequate remedy. MM has not cited any statute, regulation, or case giving CDE the authority to oversee and control the independent OAH hearing officers’ decisions. In fact, even the supervisors of the hearing officers lack this authority. The supervisors’ duties include “review[ing] the decisions of hearing officers to ensure that the decisions are clear, concise, logical, well-reasoned, supported by appropriate legal authority, and address all issues required to be decided.” Cal. Code. Regs. tit. 5, § 3096.2(c)(6). However, “[t]he review of a hearing officer’s decision shall not involve altering the findings of fact, conclusions of law or hearing outcomes.” Id. § 3096.2(c)(6)(C). Thus, review of the OAH’s hearing offi13 California Education Code requires the CDE to contract with another agency to conduct due process hearings in a manner consistent with federal and state laws and regulations. Cal. Educ. Code § 56504.5. The CDE is required to establish standards for the training and supervision hearing officers, Cal. Educ. Code § 56504.5(c), and for “the quality control mechanisms to be used to ensure that the hearings are fair and the decisions are accurate.” Cal. Educ. Code § 56505(c)(1). The CDE has enacted regulations establishing these standards. Cal. Code Regs. tit. 5, §§ 3096.2, 3092, 3098.2. MM does not allege in his complaint, or argue on appeal, that CDE failed to follow its regulations or that these regulations are inadequate to comply with CDE’s obligations under the IDEA. Rather, MM argues only that CDE failed to properly oversee one particular hearing officer in one particular ruling, a ruling which MM considers to be wrong. M. M. v. LAFAYETTE SCHOOL DISTRICT 6365 cer’s decision is left for the courts in a proper action against a proper defendant pursuant to 20 U.S.C. § 1415(i). The district court correctly determined that MM’s disagreement with one decision of one ALJ did not state a claim against the CDE for failure to properly oversee the OAH.