Depriving a Child of his Teacher

A school district terminated a teacher’s job, leaving a boy with autism without someone to lead his classroom.

The child had suffered repeated injuries while in the school’s care, so when he didn’t even have a teacher, his parents pulled him out of school. They searched for an alternative program but struggled to find one.

The school district attacked the parents for removing the child. A hearing officer decided the district wasn’t responsible for providing a free and appropriate education and placed the burden on the parents to find the alternative program.

Cuddy Law Firm took the case to a state review officer. The district fought hard against the family, taking up 12 days of hearing time and spending almost $200,000 on their lawyer.

But Cuddy Law Firm, and most importantly, the boy with autism, won.

The state officer ordered the district to provide the services it denied when it fired the teacher. By fighting back, the parents successfully protected their child’s right to an appropriate education.