Opinion ID: 181161
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Whether Defendant allowed Plaintiffs to meaningfully participate in the IEP process

Text: A receiving school must take steps to ensure that one or both parents of a disabled child are present at the IEP meeting by (1) Notifying parents of the meeting early enough to ensure that they will have an opportunity to attend; and (2) Scheduling the meeting at a mutually agreed on time and place. 34 C.F.R. § 300.322(a). If neither parent can attend an IEP Team meeting, the public agency must use other methods to ensure parent participation, including individual or conference telephone calls.... Id. at § 300.322(c). A meeting may be conducted without a parent in attendance if the public agency is unable to convince the parents that they should attend. In this case, the public agency must keep a record of its attempts to arrange a mutually agreed on time and place.... Id. at § 300.322(d). Plaintiffs argue that the district court erred by not making findings on whether Defendant allowed them to participate in A.M.'s IEP meetings. The district court indicated, through its finding that Defendant did not commit a procedural violation, that Defendant took steps to obtain Plaintiffs' presence at the IEP meetings. Moreover, OAH carefully considered the issue and concluded that Defendant took steps to ensure Plaintiffs' participation, and there is no reason to overturn that reasoned decision. Defendant scheduled an IEP meeting for a date agreeable to Plaintiffs, and Plaintiffs cancelled three days before the meeting. Defendant offered to reschedule, but Plaintiffs would only agree to a meeting in mid-March or April, which was too far beyond the thirty-day limit. Defendant offered to allow Plaintiffs to participate by telephone, but Plaintiffs refused. Thus, Defendant took steps to obtain Plaintiffs' presence at the IEP meeting. Plaintiffs also argue that A.M.'s parents could not meaningfully participate in the IEP process because the IEP documents failed to include pertinent information. OAH rejected these arguments after careful consideration. OAH found that the IEP documents did not specify a method for measuring A.M.'s progress in physical therapy, but this did not affect Plaintiffs' ability to assess the IEP offer because the physical therapy goals were similar to those in the CAVA IEP that Plaintiffs accepted. OAH rejected Plaintiffs' argument that the IEP documents failed to specify the supports and modifications necessary for A.M. to participate in the general-education setting because the IEP specified that A.M. would have the support of a one-to-one aide during school hours. OAH also found that the IEP sufficiently documented the rationale for placing A.M. in a special-education classroom and identified the duration and location of the special day classes and speech and language services. Therefore, the district court properly affirmed OAH's carefully considered decision that Defendant did not commit a procedural violation. 2. Substance Plaintiffs argue that A.M.'s IEP was substantively deficient because it was not based on A.M.'s unique needs and was not reasonably calculated to provide A.M. an educational benefit. See Rowley, 458 U.S. at 207, 215, 102 S.Ct. 3034. Plaintiffs also argue that Defendant did not offer A.M. an educational program that comported with his IEP, and did not offer A.M. a program in the least restrictive environment. See id. at 203, 102 S.Ct. 3034; Poolaw v. Bishop, 67 F.3d 830, 834 (9th Cir.1995). The IEP team considered A.M.'s unique needs and developed an IEP calculated to provide him an educational benefit. The IEP team considered A.M.'s levels of performance and his needs based on the observations of A.M.'s service providers during the thirty-day period. They concluded a fourth-grade placement was appropriate. Defendant created an IEP that included individual services and placement in a special day class. Thus, the IEP was based on A.M.'s needs and was calculated to provide him a benefit. Plaintiffs argue that Defendant did not offer A.M. an educational program that comported with his IEP. However, Plaintiffs claim only that the educational program did not comport with the 2005 CAVA IEP; Plaintiffs do not claim that Defendant did not offer a program that comported with the IEP created by Defendant in 2006. Thus, this argument fails. Defendant offered A.M. an education in the least restrictive environment appropriate. As OAH correctly noted, Defendant's argument that A.M. could not have received a meaningful education in a full-inclusion general-education setting is persuasive. A.M. was non-verbal and could respond only to yes-or-no questions. The general education teacher assigned to A.M. through CAVA testified that a general-education classroom would have overwhelmed A.M. A.M.'s service providers testified that their attempts to have A.M. interact with other children were fruitless. The evidence, however, indicated that A.M. would have benefitted from the special-education classroom placement offered by Defendant. Witnesses testified that the offered setting had the equipment and staffing appropriate for A.M. The program also offered A.M. opportunities for mainstreaming at lunch and recess, and the opportunity for mainstream classes if A.M. performed above the special-education curriculum. Therefore, Defendant placed A.M. in the least restrictive environment appropriate.