Special Education, School Accommodations, and Defense of Other Educational Rights
For students with special needs or disabilities, parents and students sometimes have to fight to get the support the student needs. According to the Pew Research Center, the total number of students in special education went from 3.6 million in the 1976-77 school year to almost 7.3 million in 2021-22. These students now comprise 15 percent of the K-12 student population across the country, nearly double what it was in the late 1970s. Not all of these students are getting the services and accommodations they are entitled to under federal law, and students are sometimes denied services or accommodations altogether. In addition, college and graduate students are often denied accommodations they are entitled to under federal law, which can result in dismissal from their university. Our lawyers are experienced in helping parents and students with these issues, including:
K-12:
- Obtaining Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and Rehabilitation Act Section 504 plans
- Compliance with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and Rehabilitation Act 504 plans
- Manifestation hearings for students with disabilities in K-12 public schools
- Other Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) issues
- Interplay between disability law and Title IX allegations
- Obtaining accommodations for SATs and ACTs
- School refusal
- School choice, residency, and transfer matters
- Bullying issues
- Private school disputes
Higher Education:
- Denial of accommodations in college, university, and graduate programs
- Violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on behalf of students, faculty, and administrators
- Dismissal, suspension, or failure of college, university, and graduate students from their programs as a result of a school’s denial of accommodations
- Discrimination complaints by students based on race, religion, ethnicity, and/or disability
- School athletic participation appeals
- Issues related to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records
