A.S. v. Madison Metropolitan School District

477 F. Supp. 2d 969, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18869, 2007 WL 779110
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Wisconsin
DecidedMarch 13, 2007
Docket06-C-683-S
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 477 F. Supp. 2d 969 (A.S. v. Madison Metropolitan School District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
A.S. v. Madison Metropolitan School District, 477 F. Supp. 2d 969, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18869, 2007 WL 779110 (W.D. Wis. 2007).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM and ORDER

SHABAZ, District Judge.

Plaintiffs A.S. and his parents Dick Shafer and Nancy Webb, commenced this civil action in Dane County Circuit Court against the Madison Metropolitan School District under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Defendant removed the action to this Court.

On February 1, 2007 defendant moved for summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, submitting proposed findings of facts, conclusions of law, affidavits and briefs in support thereof. This motion has been fully briefed and is ready for decision.

On a motion for summary judgment the question is whether any genuine issue of material fact remains following the submission by both parties of affidavits and other supporting materials and, if not, whether the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Rule 56, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Supporting and opposing affidavits shall be made on personal knowledge, shall set forth such facts as would be admissible in evidence and shall show affirmatively that the affiant is competent to testify to the matters stated therein. An adverse party may not rest upon the mere allegations or denials of the pleadings but the response must set forth specific facts showing there is a genuine issue for trial. Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

There is no issue for trial unless there is sufficient evidence favoring the non-moving party that a jury could return a verdict for that party. If the evidence is merely colorable or is not significantly probative, summary judgment may be granted. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986).

Plaintiffs failed to follow this Court’s Procedure to be Followed on Motions for Summary Judgment. In opposition to defendant’s proposed findings of fact plaintiffs do not cite to record evidence but merely state that they dispute the fact. Further, the Procedure provides that where plaintiffs ask the Court to consider other factual propositions they must pre *972 pare their own statement of facts with record citations. Plaintiffs have failed to follow this procedure and have only included facts in their brief. Although plaintiffs have failed to follow these Procedures, nonetheless, the Court has considered the entire record to determine the undisputed facts.

Plaintiffs have also submitted additional evidence that was not considered by the hearing officer. A district court is not required to consider evidence proffered by a party in an IDEA proceeding. The determination whether to allow additional evidence under § 1415(i)(2) is left to the discretion of the trial court. Sch. Dist. of Wis. Dells v. Z.S., 184 F. Supp 2d 860, 862 (W.D.Wis.2001), aff'd, 295 F.3d 671 (7th Cir.2002). Much of the evidence that plaintiffs seek to introduce is evidence which is not relevant to the situation at the time the District created the IEP for A.S. in the summer of 2005. Specifically, plaintiffs seek to introduce an October 16, 2006 report of Dr. James Vincent and a January 4, 2007 report of Dr. Jerold Stewart. These reports will not be considered because they are not relevant to the time period involved in this ease. The Court will consider only additional evidence that is relevant to the situation at the time the District created the IEP for A.S. that is at issue in this case.

FACTS

For purposes of deciding defendant’s motion for summary judgment the Court finds that there is no genuine dispute as to the following material facts.

Plaintiffs Dick Shafer and Nancy Webb, as legal guardians of A.S., (the parents) reside at 1710 Adams Street, Madison, Wisconsin. Defendant Madison Metropolitan School District (the District) is a Wisconsin public school district organized pursuant to the Wisconsin Statutes with its district office at 545 West Dayton, Street, Madison, Wisconsin.

A.S. was born on June 29, 1988 and was enrolled in special education in the 1992-1993 school year. He remains eligible for special education services under the IDEA.

A.S. received educational benefits from a highly-individualized special education program in regular education classes in his neighborhood school in California from March 1998-2003. He had a specific Communication Technology Assistant and received related services in addition to the regular school day. The IEP included appropriate goals, concrete measurable objectives and effective evaluation procedures. The IEP provided A.S. educational benefits in the least restrictive environment.

During the 2003-2004 school year A.S. and his parents resided in Sebastopol, California in the West Sonoma County Union High School District and A.S. attended Analy High School. A.S. was becoming more aggressive at home and had three aggressive incidents at school.

Ms. Kathryn Davy is the Special Education Director at the California School District. On May 5, 2004 the California School District submitted an offer of placement for A.S. for extended school year (ESY) 2004. The School District disagreed with the parents regarding the appropriateness of placing him at Camp Huntington, a residential placement, for his ESY program. Because the parents disagreed with the IEP team members’ assessment of A.S.’s progress and believed that A.S. needed an intensive residential summer program, they enrolled A.S. in Camp Huntington.

An IEP meeting for A.S. was conducted on June 25, 2004 with Carlo Rossi facilitating the meeting. The parties were not *973 successful in resolving their dispute over the ESY placement and other issues.

On July 8, 2004 the parents were informed that the District had requested mediation and/or a hearing from the Special Education Hearing Office. On August 6.2004 the District agreed to reimburse parents for educational expenses at the Stewart Home School from September 1, 2004 through July 31, 2005. On September 18, 2004 the parents notified the District that A.S. was not successful at the Stewart Home School and had been dismissed.

A California School District school psychologist, Vince Hamilton, performed a cognitive assessment of A.S. He stated that he believed full inclusion (attendance in regular education classes) would be appropriate for the student and that it be a part of his program.

The parents commissioned an independent educational evaluation of A.S. by Dr. Carina Grandison, the Director of the Neuropsychology Assessment Service at Children’s Hospital in Oakland California. She spent four hours interacting with A.S. and his mother and concluded that he needed an educational/therapeutic residential placement.

The parents placed A.S.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Jl v. Francis Howell R-3 School Dist.
693 F. Supp. 2d 1009 (E.D. Missouri, 2010)
Miller Ex Rel. SM v. BD. EDUC., ALBUQ. PUB. SCH.
565 F.3d 1232 (Tenth Circuit, 2009)
Marshall Joint School District No. 2 v. C.D. Ex Rel. Brian
592 F. Supp. 2d 1059 (W.D. Wisconsin, 2009)
Stanley v. MSD OF SW ALLEN COUNTY SCHOOLS
628 F. Supp. 2d 902 (N.D. Indiana, 2008)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
477 F. Supp. 2d 969, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18869, 2007 WL 779110, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/as-v-madison-metropolitan-school-district-wiwd-2007.