Judge again rules in favor of family over school district
June 15, 2006 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne has ruled that a Henrico County (Virginia) family should not have to pay private tuition costs for their 8-year-old autistic son, and should also not have to go through appeals before the school district is made to reimburse the costs. The judge’s decision could lead to the payment of some $500,000 to the family for tuition, legal, and interest, according to an article in today’s Richmond Times-Dispatch.
Three weeks ago, the judge ruled against the Henrico County system, saying that it knowingly and repeatedly”
failed to provide an appropriate education for the student, Reid Tutweiler (Autism Vox (May 27): Family Wins Case Against School District). In that decision, Payne
found that the suburban Richmond school system, while saddled with “significant funding limitations,” nevertheless “reflects the inertia” with which provisions of federal disabilities and special-education laws have been carried out across the country.
In the wake of Judge Payne’s decision, I hope more school districts across the country will wake up from their “inertia” in responding to the needs of autistic and special education students.
