Illinois Appellate Court
Civil Court
School Law
Court properly entered order finding that autistic child's service dog is a "service animal" and ordering school district to allow child, age 6, to bring the dog with him to all school functions. Parents were not required to first exhaust administrative remedies, as any hearing would involve interpretation of statute as to definition of service animal, which is within court's jurisdiction, and the educational experience of school administrators is irrelevant. Irrelevant that service dog occasionally needed to be commanded several times, and that an adult handler, rather than child, gave commands to dog; as to the requirement that dog "accompany" the child, the plain meaning of "accompany" does not encompass control. (STEIGMANN and McCULLOUGH, concurring.)