An OCR investigation found breaches of law in the school system, and now seeks reform.
Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) concluded that the District of Columbia Public School System has violated the civil rights acts by denying disabled students “free and appropriate” public education.
“After a thorough investigation, [OCR’s] findings reveal that D.C. Public Schools has extensively violated federal antidiscrimination law by failing to serve students with disabilities, “ said Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey. “Students and their families have been forced to demand accommodations the law entitles them through an adversarial system that, among other shortcomings, denies students timely evaluations, individualized placements, and reliable transportation that meets students’ needs.”
Evaluations have taken up to four months or longer, which delays key support students need to thrive. Untrained staff members were found to have made decisions about students’ education, and permitted educational services to be removed if social workers ran out of time, or if a student was deemed unmotivated. The investigation further revealed that there was insufficient infrastructure available for students to get to and from schools, which the OCR said presented serious safety concerns.
OCR has issued a Resolution Agreement to the District and, if an agreement is reached, will monitor its application.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Assistant Secretary Richey and OCR officials as they advocate for students who have disabilities to receive their lawful support and education.
- That the district’s school system reviews the OCR’s concerns and applies appropriate remedies.
Sources: Department of Education
