School Choice & Charters

Settlement Agreement Reached in NOLA Special Education Lawsuit

By Arianna Prothero — December 19, 2014 1 min read
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The state of Louisiana, the Orleans Parish School Board, and the Southern Poverty Law Center have agreed on a settlement in a lawsuit involving special education and charter schools.

The Southern Poverty Law Center filed the complaint on behalf of their plaintiff students four years ago against the state and the school board.

The original complaint claimed that New Orleans public schools post-Hurricane Katrina discriminated against students with disabilities. One specific issue was how special education was handled as New Orleans’ educational system splintered into charter schools.

Part of the agreement deals specifically with charters by requiring changes to the charter renewal process to make sure all charters are ready to serve students with disabilities.

You can read the settlement agreement here.

Related: Special Education Charter Schools Vulnerable to Funding Shortfall

Related: Suit Filed Against New Orleans District On Behalf Of Students With Disabilities

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A version of this news article first appeared in the Charters & Choice blog.