Parents of children with disabilities win Supreme Court case

Rulings says parents don't have to be represented by a lawyer when they challenge their child's individualized education plan.

May 22, 2007

The U.S. Supreme Court decision says parents of children with disabilities have the right to go to court without a lawyer to challenge their public school district’s individualized plan for their child’s education. The 7-to-2 decision involves an interpretation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which gives all children the right to a “free appropriate public education,” regardless of disability. Most federal appeals courts have ruled that when a dispute over the law brings families and school districts into court, the parents cannot proceed without a lawyer. Many parents, including the couple from Parma, Ohio, who brought this case, either cannot afford a lawyer or cannot find one.

Click here to read The New York Times article.