Satisfying federal requirements that public schools provide students with disabilities with free and appropriate education

Satisfying federal requirements that public schools provide students with disabilities with free and appropriate education

Endrew F. V Douglas County School District RE-1, USCA, 10^thCircuit, Docket #14-1417

Federal law requires public schools to provide students with disabilities a free and appropriate education. If a school cannot meet the educational needs of a disabled student, the student’s parents can place the child in private school and seek reimbursement of tuition and related expenses.

Parents of an autistic child, believing that the child’s educational progress at the  Douglas County [Colorado] School District [District], was not meeting his needs, withdrew the student from the District and placed him with another facility, Firefly Autism House, a private school that specializes in educating autistic children. The parents then asked the District to reimburse them for tuition and related expenses in accordance with federal law.

The District denied their request and a hearing was held before an administrative law judge [ALJ].  The ALJ found that the parents were aware of their child’s progress and fully participated in his education and upheld the District’s decision denying reimbursement.

A federal district court subsequently sustained the administrative ruling, which decision was affirmed the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The circuit court explained that the record showed that the administrative law judge found that the student received some educational benefit while in the District’s care and that such a finding was “enough to satisfy the District’s obligation to provide a free appropriate public education” under federal law. In the words of the circuit court, “the District did not violate the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400 et seq. (IDEA), and is not required to reimburse the cost of the student’s private-school education.” Citing Florence Cty., 510 U.S. at 15, the circuit court noted that “Parents who take unilateral action, however, ‘do so at their own financial risk.’”

The decision is posted on the Internet at:

https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/opinions/14/14-1417.pdf

Selected reports and information issued by New York State's Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli issued during the week ending August 29, 2015

Selected reports and information issued by New York State's Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli issued during the week ending August 29, 2015
Click on text highlighted in color to access the complete report

Public Financing of Elections urged by State Comptroller

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli’s op-ed, “New York Should Opt into Public Financing of Elections” was published in The Albany Times Union, urging the state Legislature to pass comprehensive campaign finance reform in New York, including public funding of elections for all state offices.

http://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/aug15/082615.htm?utm_source=weeklynews20150830&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=082615release

July 2015 State’s Cash Report issued by State Comptroller

Tax revenues through the first four months of the state’s fiscal year came in $17.7 million lower than the Division of the Budget’s latest projections but more than $1 billion higher than originally forecasted, according to the monthly state cash report issued by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The General Fund balance remains high compared to historical levels, with $9.6 billion at the end of July, $25.2 million higher than the latest projections.

http://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/aug15/082715.htm?utm_source=weeklynews20150830&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=082715release

State Contract report for the month of July 2015

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced his office approved 1,693 contracts valued at $1.1 billion and approved more than 1.8 million payments worth approximately $8 billion in July. His office also rejected 204 contracts and related transactions valued at $356 million and nearly 2,000 payments valued at approximately $3 million due to fraud, waste or other improprieties.

http://www.osc.state.ny.us/press/releases/aug15/082515.htm?utm_source=weeklynews20150830&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=082515release

Employee disciplined for failure to follow employer's policy

Employee disciplined for failure to follow employer's policy

OATH Index No. 1051/15

An ultrasound technologist was charged with failing to properly identify a patient and performing an ultrasound test on the wrong on the patient.

OATH Administrative Law Judge Kevin F. Casey sustained the charges. Evidence showed that the technician did not follow hospital policy for identifying patients, which requires using two methods to verify a patient's identity, and as a result performed an ultrasound on the wrong patient.

The technician realized his mistake after the examination had been completed and reported it to his supervisor.

That no one was injured and the mistake was immediately reported was outweighed by the technician's record of poor performance.

The ALJ concluded that a hospital does not have to wait for a patient to be injured before taking disciplinary action and recommended the termination of the employee.  

The decision is posted on the Internet at:

http://archive.citylaw.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/oath/15_cases/15-1051.pdf

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The Discipline Book -- A 448 page e-book focusing on disciplinary actions involving State, municipal and school district officers and employees. 
For more information click on http://thedisciplinebook.blogspot.com/

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Advisory arbitration

Advisory arbitration

Hannon v Westbury Union Free Sch. Dist. Bd. of Educ., 2015 NY Slip Op 06668, Appellate Division, Second Department

“Advisory Arbitration”is typically viewed as a form of arbitration in which the decision of the arbitrator is in the nature of recommendations or advice and not binding on the parties.

As the Hannon decision demonstrates, although the opinion of the arbitrator in advisory arbitration is not binding on the parties, the parties may have obligated themselves “to consider the arbitrator’s opinion” in the course of the “decision making process” where the collective bargaining agreement [CBO] so requires and the failure to do so would constitute a “contract violation” of the CBO.

The Westbury Union Free School District Board of Education [Westbury] terminated Kevin Hannon from his position following an advisory arbitration proceeding in which the arbitrator considered Hannon's grievance. Hannon sued, contending Westbury violated the CBO in determining the disposition of his grievance. Supreme Court, Nassau County, agreed and granted Hannon’s Article 78 petition. The court directed Westbury to reinstate Hannon to his former position with back pay.  Westbury appealed the Supreme Court’s ruling.*

The Appellate Division sustained the lower court’s decision, explaining that Westbury’s determination to reject the advisory arbitration award was arbitrary and capricious as the relevant CBO between Westbury and the United Public Service Employees Union required the parties "to consider the opinion" of the arbitrator "in determining the final disposition of the grievance under review."

Citing Plainedge Federation. of Teachers v Plainedge Union Free School District, 58 NY2d 902,  the Appellate Division said that as there was no evidence in the record demonstrating that Westbury had, in fact, consider the opinion of the arbitrator when it made its decision to terminate Hannon’s employment, it was “in violation of the plain terms of the collective bargaining agreement.”

* Supreme Court had also awarded a second petitioner, Carlos Brugueras, back pay from the date that he was laid off from his position until his discharge from employment by Westbury.

The decision is posted on the Internet at:

http://www.nycourts.gov/reporter/3dseries/2015/2015_06668.htm

Governor Andrew Cuomo amends Executive Order No. 8-147 relating to the deaths of civilians caused by law enforcement officers

Governor Andrew Cuomo amends Executive Order No. 8-147 relating to the deaths of civilians caused by law enforcement officers

On July 8, 2015 Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order No. 8-147 appointing the New York State Attorney General as a Special Prosecutor in matters relating to the deaths of unarmed civilians caused by law enforcement officers. The order also allows the Special Prosecutor to review cases where there is a question whether the civilian was armed and dangerous at the time of his or her death.

At the request of Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman, Governor Andrew Cuomo has amended his Executive Order #8-147, dated July 8, 2015, to include an additional paragraph as the EO 8-147’s penultimate paragraph, to read as follows:

“FURTHER, the requirement imposed on the Special Prosecutor by this Executive Order shall include the investigation, and if warranted, prosecution:

“(a) of any and all unlawful acts or omissions or alleged unlawful acts or omissions by any law enforcement officer, as listed in subdivision 34 of §1.20 of the Criminal Procedure Law, arising out of, relating to or in any way connected with the death of Raynette Turner on July 27, 2015 while in the custody of the Mount Vernon Police Department.”

The text of the July 8, 2015 order is posted on the Internet at:
https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/EO147.pdf