Federal Court Gives Final Approval to the Settlement to Vindicate the Education Rights of Students with Disabilities at the DC Jail
On January 15, 2024, Judge Carl J. Nichols granted final approval to the Settlement Agreement in the 2021 class action brought by Terris, Pravlik & Millian, LLP, and our partners Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs and School Justice Project.
Under the Settlement Agreement, the District must fulfill its obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to educate high school students at the DC Jail who have disabilities. The Settlement Agreement sets out improvements to polices and procedures for delivering education to students who are still at the DC Jail and provides significant compensatory education packages which provide funds to students who were deprived of their education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The compensatory education funds can be used by the students or former students for education purposes such as tutoring, counseling, and post-secondary opportunities.
The District’s implementation of the Settlement Agreement will take place under the oversight of Grace Lopes who will serve as the third-party auditor to review and report on the District’s compliance with the terms of the Settlement Agreement. Ms. Lopes’ first report is due on January 30, 2024. The federal court will retain jurisdiction to consider any necessary motions to enforce the Settlement Agreement if there is non-compliance.
The Settlement Agreement is here. The Judge’s Order granting final approval is here.
News coverage about the landmark settlement can be found at dcist and The Washington Post.
https://dcist.com/story/23/09/25/dc-settles-lawsuit-failure-provide-education-dc-jail/