Special Education
Special Education
DRC works to make sure students with disabilities have what they need to do well in school. We also make sure they attend classes with students without disabilities. To learn more, please keep reading.
“Education is not just for a privileged few, it is for everyone. It is a fundamental human right.” Ban Ki-moon
The primary goal of special education advocacy at Disability Rights California is to ensure that students with disabilities can access educational opportunities that enrich them academically and socially. Our advocacy furthers the promise of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act by advocating for the robust educational services and supports that many students with disabilities need to thrive at school. We also advocate for equal educational opportunities in the most integrated settings under the Americans with Disabilities Act. We represent clients in due process hearings, state compliance complaints, civil rights complaints and systemic litigation.
Fresno County Juvenile Justice Campus
Disability Rights California (DRC) and Youth Law Center (YLC) visited the Fresno County Juvenile Justice Campus (JJC) for two days, May 23-24, 2017. Over the course of the following year, DRC and YLC reviewed the County’s public records and wrote a public report which sets forth findings and recommendations.
J.R. v. Oxnard School District
This class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of students with disabilities from working class, primarily Spanish speaking families who have been denied their rights to required educational supports and services because the Oxnard School District fails to ensure that it appropriately identifies and timely evaluates students for special education.
Valenzuela v. Torlakson
Disability Rights California filed a lawsuit in California Superior Court, alleging that the State for its failure to monitor and correct systemic problems with Oakland Unified School District’s special education program.
Torres v. Torlakson
This Petition for Writ of Mandate was filed against the state Department of Education (CDE) as well as the Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) because of their failure to protect students with disabilities from unnecessary segregation.
Sam Doe v. Pasadena Unified School District
In February 2016 Disability Rights California and co-counsel filed this class action complaint against the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) to address the district’s practice of sending students with disability related behaviors to a segregated school called Focus Point Academy.
Chanda Smith V. Los Angeles Unified School District
Chanda Smith is the 1993 seminal class action lawsuit against Los Angeles Unified School District that has served as a blueprint for establishing a comprehensive system for delivery of special education supports and services to students with special needs.