Stanek v. St. Charles Community Unit School District #303

Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Individuals with Disabilities Act
Citation
Case Number: 
No. 14-3012
Decision Date: 
April 9, 2015
Federal District: 
N.D. Ill., E. Div.
Holding: 
Affirmed and reversed in part and remanded
Dist. Ct. erred in dismissing plaintiffs’ (special ed student and his parents) IDEA, Rehabilitation Act and ADA actions alleging that defendants-School District and various school officials denied plaintiff-student free appropriate public education when defendants denied student study guides and extra time to complete tests and homework that his IEP required. Plaintiffs could name School District (as opposed to School Bd.) as proper defendant, and defendants alleged failure to follow IEP is sufficient for student to state cause of action under IDEA. Student also alleged adequate Rehabilitation Act and ADA claims, where, in addition to alleged IDEA violation, student asserted that defendants attempted to push him out of his classes and required that he perform tasks that his autism prevented him from doing, which in turn resulted in him missing school. Also, plaintiffs-parents stated sufficient IDEA claim where they alleged that defendants intentionally kept them from participating in special ed procedures and precluded them from obtaining school records. Fact that student had turned 18 at time of filing of instant lawsuit did not preclude parents from filing IDEA action where student had signed Delegation of Rights form.