The Supreme Court Makes It Easier for Disabled People to Sue Schools

https://goo.gl/CiVZ52

Wonder the Goldendoodle was the Supreme Court plaintiff of 2016 most likely to deserve a scratch behind the ears, especially since the Supreme Court just ruled 8–0 in his — or really his owner’s — favor. Thanks to a favorable decision in Fry v. Napoleon Community Schools, children with disabilities and their caregivers will now be able to sue schools when they believe their rights civil rights have been violated. This doesn’t affect only those who depend on service dogs, but arguably also cases involving life-threatening and abusive practices of restraint and seclusion. Better yet, it bodes well for an even more significant case before the court, about the fundamental basics of educational quality for disabled children in America.

That was the decision before the Supreme Court, and the justices unanimously agreed with the Fry family’s attorneys. When a person with disabilities encounters alleged discrimination, it doesn’t matter whether it takes place in a school. Under the Americans With Disabilities Act, the disabled person can sue.