Mundo Verde Pub. Charter Sch. v. Sokolov

315 F. Supp. 3d 374
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedJune 8, 2018
DocketCase No. 17–cv–01710 (APM)
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 315 F. Supp. 3d 374 (Mundo Verde Pub. Charter Sch. v. Sokolov) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mundo Verde Pub. Charter Sch. v. Sokolov, 315 F. Supp. 3d 374 (D.C. Cir. 2018).

Opinion

Amit P. Mehta, United States District Judge

I. INTRODUCTION

In January 2017, Dan and Liz Sokolov filed an administrative due process complaint against Mundo Verde Public Charter School and the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education, alleging, among other things, that their minor child, A.S., had been denied a free and appropriate public education ("FAPE") in violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ("IDEA"), 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400 et seq. After an administrative hearing, the Hearing Officer ruled in the Sokolovs' favor and ordered Mundo Verde to reimburse the Sokolovs for costs associated with A.S.'s enrollment in a private school for the 2016-2017 school year. Mundo Verde filed this lawsuit under the IDEA to appeal the Hearing Officer's adverse decision. And, because the Hearing Officer found Mundo Verde solely responsible for the FAPE denial, Mundo Verde named not only the Sokolovs but also the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education as defendants in this action.

After Mundo Verde filed its Complaint, however, the District of Columbia reimbursed the Sokolovs for all costs, including tuition, for the 2016-2017 school year, and continued to fund A.S.'s private-school placement during the 2017-2018 school year. Defendants now move to dismiss the Complaint or, in the alternative, for entry of summary judgment, primarily on the ground that the case is now moot. The court agrees that, as a result of the District's payment of A.S.'s tuition, this matter no longer presents a live case or controversy. Accordingly, the court grants Defendants' Motions to Dismiss.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Background

Plaintiff Mundo Verde Public Charter School ("Plaintiff" or "Mundo Verde") is a District of Columbia public charter school that has elected to be its own local education agency under the IDEA for special education purposes. Am. Compl., ECF No. 3, ¶ 3. Mundo Verde is "a school of choice where parents voluntarily enroll their children" on an annual basis. Id. Defendants Dan and Liz Sokolov's ("the Sokolovs") minor child, A.S., attended Mundo Verde for several years, including the 2015-2016 school year when A.S. was in third grade. Id. ¶¶ 4-5. While at Mundo Verde, A.S. received special education services. See id. ¶¶ 5-7; Am. Compl., Ex., Hearing Officer Determination, ECF No. 3-1 [hereinafter HOD], at 4-5.

In May 2016, the Sokolovs began expressing concerns regarding the adequacy of A.S.'s Individualized Education Program ("IEP") at Mundo Verde. See Am. Compl. ¶¶ 8-9. In July 2016, after obtaining an independent psychoeducational evaluation, the Sokolovs notified Mundo Verde that if it did not develop an appropriate IEP for A.S. for the 2016-2017 school year, the Sokolovs would seek funding *378for placement at the Lab School of Washington ("Lab School"), a nonpublic special education day school. See Am. Compl. ¶¶ 8-9, 11-12. In response, Plaintiff submitted a placement review referral to Defendant District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education ("OSSE"), the state education agency under IDEA. Id. ¶ 13. Plaintiff also convened an IEP meeting with the Sokolovs. Id.

Before the conclusion of the placement referral and IEP review process, the Sokolovs informed Plaintiff of their decision to enroll A.S. in the Lab School for the 2016-2017 school year. See id. ¶ 15. Shortly thereafter, Plaintiff asked the Sokolovs to complete a formal withdrawal form for A.S., which they did. Id. ¶¶ 15-17; see HOD at 9. Importantly, however, once A.S. formally withdrew from Mundo Verde, Plaintiff lost access to A.S.'s special education records in its student information database, meaning that Plaintiff could no longer revise A.S.'s IEP. See Am. Compl. ¶¶ 18-20; HOD at 10. Moreover, after Plaintiff informed OSSE of A.S.'s withdrawal and Plaintiff's loss of access to A.S.'s records, "OSSE notified [Plaintiff] that it was closing the placement review process, precluding [Plaintiff] from convening a change in placement meeting." Am. Compl. ¶ 19.

On January 27, 2017, the Sokolovs filed an administrative due process complaint against Mundo Verde and OSSE. Id. ¶ 25. In their complaint, the Sokolovs alleged, among other things, that Mundo Verde and/or OSSE had denied A.S. the right to a FAPE under the IDEA "by failing to provide an appropriate IEP and/or placement for the 2016-2017 school year, when A.S. needed a more restrictive environment than was offered or available at Mundo Verde." See id. ¶ 26. After an administrative hearing, the Hearing Officer found in favor of the Sokolovs on this issue. See id. ¶¶ 27, 31-32. As relevant here, the Hearing Officer specifically held that Plaintiff was solely responsible for the denial of a FAPE. See id.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
315 F. Supp. 3d 374, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mundo-verde-pub-charter-sch-v-sokolov-cadc-2018.