The Wrightslaw Way

While investigating suspicious deaths in state institutions, the Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy (VOPA) requested relevant records from state officials. Virginia refused, stating that a state-law privilege protected records from disclosure. VOPA sued the State agency in U.S. District Court. The District Court denied Virginia’s motion to dismiss. Virginia appealed to the Court of […]

In Mass, parents are reporting that their children are refusing to go to class, have dropped out of sports, stopped trying to socialize, refused to go to class and in some cases had to change schools – all because they are being bullied. Allegedly girls with special needs are being photographed in the bathroom, then […]

A Wisconsin school district has decided to use federal stimulus dollars to construct “seclusion areas” in its schools.  The decision is opposed by those working to end such practices for students with disabilities. The School Board voted in favor of using the funds for this purpose on December 14,  the vote coming just after Congressman […]

A 14-year old student in a special education classroom in Texas, Cedric lived with a foster family because of a history of neglect, including malnutrition. One day in 2002, his teacher tried to punish him by withholding food, despite the abuse he had suffered as a young child. Cedric’s teacher delayed his lunch for hours […]

In a July 31 letter, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan described his reaction to testimony before Congress on the use of restraints and seclusion in public schools. He advised school officials to reform their seclusion and restraint procedures “to ensure that every student in every school is safe and protected”  before the beginning of the […]

On Thursday, September 18, Pete and Pam presented a special education law and advocacy training program in Chapel Hill, NC. After checking in, we picked up an email from an old friend who advised that  Disability Rights of North Carolina (DRNC) had just filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Wake County Board of […]