Opinion ID: 3061485
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Plaintiff Rance’s Proposed IPE

Text: Plaintiff Rance worked in the computer field until health problems forced him to leave his job. Subsequently, Rance contacted Defendant DVR to obtain a plan to update his computer skills. On April 20, 2005, DVR certified him eligible for vocational rehabilitation services. Pursuant to that certification, Rance and one of DVR’s vocational rehabilitation counselors agreed upon an Individualized Plan of Employment 1 The Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation is contained within the Florida Department of Education and thus not a separate entity. See Fla. Stat. § 20.15(3)(d) (2009). However, the district court accepted Rance’s categorization of them as two separate entities because the distinction had no effect upon the case. We find no reason to depart from that reasoning for purposes of this appeal. 2 (“IPE”) for him. Among other things, Rance’s IPE provided that he was to receive computer training through “PC Professor,” a computer programming company. On the IPE’s left top corner are the words “pending approval” in bold. The IPE’s case notes state that the “IPE [was] completed and submitted.” Subsequent case notes state that Rance was informed that additional information would have to be obtained prior to his IPE’s approval. Rance’s DVR counselor apparently sent the IPE for approval to Todd Sapperstein, DVR’s vocational rehabilitation supervisor. Sapperstein’s responsibilities included developing and approving IPEs, managing DVR’s financial resources to ensure efficient provision of services, and having a working knowledge of pertinent state and federal law. Sapperstein investigated Rance’s eligibility for the requested computer programming course. Sapperstein asked Robert Fellman, the co-owner of PC Professor, if Fellman had checked whether Rance’s computer knowledge was what he claimed. When Fellman replied that he had not, Sapperstein requested him to do so, as the course was expensive and DVR’s resources must be managed wisely.