Prince William County School Board v. Dustin Lassiter, et al.

CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Virginia
DecidedNovember 13, 2025
Docket1:24-cv-00610
StatusUnknown

This text of Prince William County School Board v. Dustin Lassiter, et al. (Prince William County School Board v. Dustin Lassiter, et al.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Prince William County School Board v. Dustin Lassiter, et al., (E.D. Va. 2025).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA Alexandria Division

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY ) SCHOOL BOARD, ) Plaintiff, v. Civil Action No. 1:24-cv-610 (RDA/LRV) DUSTIN LASSITER, et al.,

Defendants. MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER This matter comes before the Court on Plaintiff Prince William County School Board’s (“PWCSB”) Motions to Submit Additional Evidence (Dkt. 30) (“Evidence Motion”), Motion to Exclude Expert Testimony of Ronald T. Savage, Ed. D. (Dkt. 34) (“Expert Motion”), and Motion for Judgment on the Administrative Record (Dkt. 37) (“Judgment Motion”), as well as Defendants Dustin and Yesenia Lassiter’s (the “Parents”) Cross-Motion for Judgment on the Administrative Record (Dkt. 44) (“Cross Motion”), and Motions to Enforce Judgment (Dkts. 61, 67) (collectively, the “Enforcement Motions”). This matter has been fully briefed and is now ripe for disposition. This Court has dispensed with oral argument as it would not aid in the decisional process. See Fed. R. Civ. P. 78(b); Local Civil Rule 7(J). Considering the Motions together with the Administrative Record (Dkts. 25 and 25-1 through 25-11) (referred to as “A.R.”) as well as the Memoranda in Support (Dkts. 31, 35, 38, 62, 68), Oppositions (Dkts. 45, 46, 47, 64), Replies (Dkts. 48, 49, 50, 51, 65), and Supplemental Briefing (Dkt. 69), this Court GRANTS-IN-PART and DENIES-IN-PART the Evidence Motion, GRANTS the Expert Motion, DENIES the Judgment

Motion, GRANTS the Cross Motion, and GRANTS-IN-PART and DENIES-IN-PART the Enforcement Motions for the reasons that follow.! I. FACTUAL BACKGROUND The following facts are derived from the administrative record and the uncontroverted allegations in the parties’ pleadings. Student IL. (“Student”) transferred to Prince William County Schools (““PWCS”) in the 2018-2019 school year. A.R. 916. Student has a venous malformation in her right hand and has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (“ADD”). Jd Due to these conditions, when she began her studies with PWCS, she qualified for assistance pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, 29 U.S.C. § 794 (“Section 504”). Id; see also A.R. 81. For seventh and eighth grades, Student attended Gainesville Middle School. A.R. 81. During the 2021-2022 school year, Student had an Individual Accommodation, Section 504 Plan. Id. (the “2022 Plan”). The 2022 Plan permitted Student to limit high-impact activities at her discretion and, after an amendment, included intermittent home-based services in the amount of 3 hours for every 3 consecutive absences. /d. On March 17, 2022, Student was found eligible for special education services under the category of “other health impairment” based on the ADD and venous malformation diagnoses as well as deficits in working auditory memory. Jd. The Student also has a diagnosis of anxiety and vision impairments of amblyopia and myopia’. Id. These conditions meant that Student: (i)

' As the Court was making the determinations in this Memorandum Opinion and Order, the Parents filed a second Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order. Dkt. 72. That Motion will be discussed infra with the Enforcement Motions. 2 Amblyopia is commonly referred to as a lazy eye. 3 Myopia is also known as nearsightedness.

experiences pain when performing fine motor tasks, including writing; (ii) is absent from school due to her medical conditions; (iii) experiences difficulties focusing on coursework and instruction; and (iv) requires specially designed instruction. A.R. 1158. The Hearing Officer found that, during this time period, Student underwent surgical procedures for her hand and missed between 42 and 46 days of school, requiring both homebound and homebased instruction. A.R. 81. Additionally, at some point, Student was required to take blood thinners, and, when she asked to stop running or fast walking during a gym class because she tasted blood, her request was denied and thereafter Student had to go to the hospital. A.R. 82. In March 2022, Dr. John Dresely, a neuro-optometrist, recommended vision therapy for Student due to the amblyopia in her right eye. A.R. 1144. Included with his diagnosis, Dr. Dresely wrote a note, specifically tailored to Student, titled “What the Classroom Teachers Can Do To Help.” A.R. 1146. It included certain recommendations, including: (i) visual breaks every 8-10 minutes; (ii) use of her finger or a ruler to help her keep her place when reading; (iii) use of larger print with a lot of white space when making handouts and worksheets; (iv) giving her additional time on tests or other timed activities; and (v) if additional time is not given, having someone read the test material to her and allowing her to give answers verbally. /d. In April 2022, PWCS began working to implement an Individualized Education Plan (“IEP”) for Student. A.R. 1229-33. After the Parents were unavailable to meet with the IEP team in April, PWCS scheduled two IEP meetings in May 2022 wherein the Parents participated. A.R. 3557 at 906:1-10. On May 26, 2022, PWCS revised the proposed IEP, and the Parents consented to it on June 16, 2022. A.R. 940-962 (the “Initial IEP”). The Initial IEP set forth several accommodations to be provided to Student, including: (1) a flexible schedule to include breaks during class; (2) access to a stress/fidget item to exercise her hand; (3) weekly check ins with a

case manager; (4) extended time for assignments; (5) a fast pass to the nurse to be excused from class; (6) a non-verbal communication card to signal to instructors when she experienced hand pain and required a break; (7) printed copies of notes; (8) reductions in assignments based on mastery of content or skills; (9) check-ins with teachers during class; and (10) teachers re- explaining or re-iterating important instructional parameters. A.R. 952-53. The Initial IEP also provided for additional special education services. A.R. 953, 957-59. And the Initial IEP provided that Student’s needs could be accommodated in the least-restrictive environment of her public- school setting. A.R. 959. In August 2022, the IEP team reconvened. A.R. 1512. A revised IEP was provided to the Parents on August 24, 2022; however, the Parents refused to grant consent to implement the revised IEP. A.R. 1536-37. In particular, Student’s mother stated, “I am confused on what I am consenting or not consenting to,” and indicated that she did “not fully agree to the goals the school and teachers came up with.” /d. Additional meetings were then held in September and November 2022 to review Student’s IEP and to ensure those concerns were addressed. A.R. 1677, 3327 at 469:3-13. On October 1, 2022, Dr. Lindsay Russow, a pediatrician, wrote a letter to PWCS suggesting that an emergency action plan for Student be put in place as part of Student’s IEP. A.R. 1601-02. In November 2022, Student reached out to her case manager, Adelina Blankenship, conveying symptoms of anxiety, bullying, and feeling generally overwhelmed. A.R. 1649. Ms. Blankenship responded two days later sharing her concerns with another staff member, but not otherwise proposing a specific plan to assist Student. Id. Also in November 2022, PWCS again provided a draft IEP to the Parents, and the Parents refused their consent. A.R. 1677-705. According to records with the proposed IEP, the Parents

disagreed with proposals for compensatory time after school, because they would conflict with Student’s therapy for her hand, and instead asked that compensatory time be provided during the evenings or weekends or during the school day, A.R. 1703.

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Prince William County School Board v. Dustin Lassiter, et al., Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/prince-william-county-school-board-v-dustin-lassiter-et-al-vaed-2025.