G. "J" D. ex rel. G.D. v. Wissahickon School District

832 F. Supp. 2d 455, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63545
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedJune 14, 2011
DocketCivil Action No. 10-1586
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 832 F. Supp. 2d 455 (G. "J" D. ex rel. G.D. v. Wissahickon School District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
G. "J" D. ex rel. G.D. v. Wissahickon School District, 832 F. Supp. 2d 455, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63545 (E.D. Pa. 2011).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

BAYLSON, District Judge.

This case arises under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (“IDEA”), 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq. (2005). On June 16, 2009, the parents of G.D. or “Jack” (“Parents”) filed a due process [457]*457complaint, contending that the Wissahickon School District (“District”) had failed to meet its Child Find obligations in violation of the IDEA and Chapter 14 of the Pennsylvania Code, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (“Section 504”) and Chapter 15 of the Pennsylvania Code. Parents contended that the District had failed to timely evaluate and identify Jack as eligible for special education and denied him a free appropriate public education (“FAPE”). Parents sought compensatory education for the 2008-2009 school year and the 2009 extended school year.

On January 13, 2010, Deborah G. De-Lauro, M.Ed, J.D., a Pennsylvania Special Education Due Process Hearing Officer (“Hearing Officer”), issued a written decision, finding that the District had denied Jack a free and appropriate education (“FAPE”) in violation of IDEA from April 3, 2009, through the end of the 2008-2009 school year. The Hearing Officer awarded Jack two hours of compensatory education per school day for that period during which Jack was found to have been denied a FAPE.

Parents did not appeal the decision, but filed a Complaint on April 9, 2010, seeking reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs as the prevailing party in this matter, docketed under Civil Action Number 10-1586 (ECF No. 1). The District filed this appeal of the Hearing Officer’s decision on April 13, 2010, docketed as Civil Action Number 10-1620 (ECF No. 1). These actions were consolidated under Civil Action Number 10-1586 by order on July 15, 2010 (ECF No. 3). Plaintiffs and Defendant have both filed motions for judgment in their favor (ECF Nos. 13, 14). Upon consideration of the parties’ briefs, the administrative record, and the supplementary materials provided by the parties following this Court’s January 21, 2011 hearing, the Court will affirm the decision by the Hearing Officer.

I. Factual History

Jack is a seven-year-old child who resides in the Wissahickon School District (“District”). Hearing Officer Decision at ¶ 1. Jack’s parents (“Parents”) enrolled Jack in the District’s kindergarten at Blue Bell Elementary School at the start of the 2008-2009 school year. Jack has a history of aggressive behavior and has been diagnosed with a Sensory/Processing Disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (“ADHD”). Id. at ¶¶26, 28; School District Exs. 8,12, Parents’ Exs. 2, 21.

Before Jack began the school year, Jack’s Parents provided Blue Bell’s principal with (a) a Pre-Admission Screening Report, identifying Jack’s verbal IQ at 143 and performance IQ at 103; (b) a private Occupational Therapy (“OT”) evaluation, indicating behavioral and sensory issues; and (c) a second OT evaluation diagnosing Jack with a sensory processing disorder. Id. at ¶ 3-5; see School District Ex. 1, 2, 3. Parents also obtained an independent physical therapy (“PT”) evaluation, which recommended weekly PT at home. Id. at ¶ 7. Parents also met individually with Jack’s kindergarten teacher, Tishara O’Brien, and provided her with the reports. Id. at ¶ 9.

On July 25, 2008, the District issued a Permission to Evaluate (“PTE”), which the Parents signed and returned on September 16, 2008. Id. at ¶ 6; see Parents’ Ex. 26; School District Ex. 5. On October 16, 2008, the District issued

1. an Evaluation Report, which determined Jack not to qualify for PT services
2. a Section 504/Chapter 15 service agreement, which provided Jack with accommodations, including OT, alternative seating, postural accom[458]*458modations, and a plan to inform Jack of programs and behavioral expectations.

Hearing Officer Decision at ¶ 15; see School District Ex. 28. Parents did not sign and return the service agreement until December 3, 2008. Id at ¶ 16.

On December 2, 2008, Ms. O’Brien issued Jack’s first report card and indicated Jack was making academic progress, but that his behaviors were interfering with his learning, he was easily distracted, and had trouble with organization. Id at ¶ 18; Parents’ Ex. 11. The following day, Parent met with Ms. O’Brien to discuss behavior problems Parent had observed in Jack when Parent was visiting the classroom. Id at ¶ 19. Ms. O’Brien discussed with Parent her strategies for addressing Jack’s behavior, some of which had been successful, while others had not. Id at ¶ 19-20. During December, Ms. O’Brien and Parents exchanged emails regarding Jack’s increasingly problematic behaviors, including an incident in which Jack spit in a friend’s face. Id at ¶ 22; see Parents’ Ex. 2; Tr. at 51. Soon after, Jack was referred for a Child Study Team meeting. Id at 23.

On January 12, 2009, Parents met with District representatives, including Ms. O’Brien, the school principal, and the school psychologist, Gail Mallett. Id at ¶ 23; Parents’ Exs. 2, 22. Parents expressed concern about Jack’s behavior at home, but Ms. O’Brien had not found Jack’s behaviors to have manifested in school at the same level of frequency or severity and assessed his behavior as “controllable.” Id at ¶ 23; Tr. at 140-41; 311-12. Ms. O’Brien also reported that Jack had made substantial progress academically and noted his remorse at the spitting incident. Id at ¶ 24; Tr. at 141.

The District issued a second PTE on January 16, 2009, in order to conduct a multidisciplinary evaluation. Id at ¶ 23; see School District Ex. 7. Parents signed and returned the second PTE on February 4, 2009, having checked the box indicating that the evaluation was “to assist in [the] Functional Behavioral Process.” Id at ¶ 27; see School District Exs. 9,10.

On January 19, 2009, Parents engaged Childhood Solutions, P.C., to conduct a private psychological evaluation by Mara Kaplan-Kaliner. Id at ¶ 26. The subsequent (undated) report diagnosed Jack with ADHD and recommended, inter alia, that Parents meet with the District to utilize a 504 accommodation plan to help Jack meet his academic and social potential. Id at ¶ 26; see School District Ex. 8; P Ex. 21. Jack’s private psychiatrist confirmed the ADHD diagnosis by letter on February 24, 2009 and prescribed medication. Id at ¶ 28; see School District Ex. 8. Jack was given four different medications between February and June, 2009, due to adverse effects. Id at ¶ 29; P Ex. 2.

On March 23, 2009, Jack was sent to the principal because of an incident in which Jack “strangled” (in his words) or pushed (in Ms. O’Brien’s words) another child because of his anger about not having time to finish something.1 Id at ¶ 33; see Parents’ Exs. 11, 19. He was punished by missing a portion of that day’s school celebration and had to write for his teacher the reasons why he was missing the program. Id

Jack received his second report card on April 3, 2009. Id at ¶ 30; see P. Ex. 10. [459]*459Ms. O’Brien noted, in her own handwriting, that Jack was “easily distracted.

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832 F. Supp. 2d 455, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 63545, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/g-j-d-ex-rel-gd-v-wissahickon-school-district-paed-2011.