Parents Sue School for Disproportionate Special Ed Assessments for Black Kids
Lawrence and Katherine Williams have filed alawsuitagainstFederal Way School District in the state of Washington. The couple claims that the district has violated their son’s civil rights by forcing the 5-year-old to attend a special education class because of his disability. Additionally, The Williamses feels that their first amendment rights have been violated, being that the school district took action against the mother for voicing her opinions about her son’s access to educational services.
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According to the lawsuit filed on behalf of the Williamses by their attorney, “FWPS disproportionately refers African-American children to special education programs without adequately addressing whether their disability and/or medical needs prevent the children from attending general education classes or prevents them from completing general education schoolwork.”The parents feel that the school district acted improperly and inappropriately by removing their son from his general education classroom setting.
The parents admit that their child has a disability; however, the parents feel that the child’s disability is not an impediment to the his ability to learn and be successful in a regular classroom. The parents claim that the school district did not consider the child’s abilities when they decided to place him in special education.Katherine voiced her concerns to school officials and teachers at Lake Grove Elementary, where her son attended. Her attempts to provide advocacy for her young child were perceived as being inappropriate.
The district administrators filed an injunction to prevent the mother from visiting any property owned by Federal Way School District for a year. If the mother violated this order, she would be charged with criminal trespassing.
The Williamses have decided to pull their child out of Lake Grove Elementary and home school him instead. However, the parents are still pursuing the law suit to try to create change in Federal Way School District’s special education policies. Additionally, the Williamses feel that parents should not be criminalized just because they seek to advocate on behalf of their children.
What should be learned from this story from this story:
1) Black children are disproportionately placed in special education, which often sets a trajectory for their lives that disallows them the same opportunities to succeed as white children. In many cases, the inability to read, write or think critically precludes you from having the ability to compete in a global economy. In fact, many schools use the special education classification as an excuse to NOT educate your child.
2) The best way to fight against disparities is to use the legal system. When organizations are forced to pay a financial penalty for their mistakes, they are less likely to make them.