Rivera-Quiñones v. Department of Education

102 F. Supp. 3d 381, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59241
CourtDistrict Court, D. Puerto Rico
DecidedMay 4, 2015
DocketCivil No. 15-1184 (FAB)
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 102 F. Supp. 3d 381 (Rivera-Quiñones v. Department of Education) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rivera-Quiñones v. Department of Education, 102 F. Supp. 3d 381, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59241 (prd 2015).

Opinion

OPINION AND ORDER

BESOSA, District Judge.

On March 3, 2015, Widallys Rivera-Quiñones (“Rivera”)-personally and on behalf of her minor daughter “AVR” (collectively, “plaintiffs”) brought suit against the Puerto Rico Department of Education and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (collectively, “defendants”). (Docket No. 1.) Plaintiffs’ claims are two-fold. First, they allege that defendants’ failure to make various school facilities and equipment accessible to AVR, who uses a wheelchair, constitutes a violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”), 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq., and the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), 42 U.S.C. § 12131 et seq. Second, plaintiffs claim that defendants’ failure to reimburse Ms. Rivera for transportation costs incurred by driving AVR to school and therapy sessions constitutes a violation of the IDEA.

Plaintiffs moved the Court for a preliminary injunction on both claims. (Docket No. 2.) On April 9, 2015, defendants answered the compláint, (Docket No. 29), and moved to dismiss, (Docket'"No. 28). The Court held a preliminary injunction heáring on April 10, 2015. On April 17, 2015, plaintiffs opposed the motion to dismiss, (Docket No. 42), and moved for sumhaary judgment on their transportation reimbursement claim, (Docket No. 44).

For the reasons discussed below, the Court GRANTS in part and DENIES in part defendants’ motion to dismiss, (Docket No. 28). With respect to plaintiffs’ transportation reimbursement claim, the [384]*384Court HOLDS IN ABEYANCE plaintiffs’ unopposed motions for a preliminary injunction, (Docket No. 2), and for summary judgment, (Docket No. 44). The Court ORDERS defendants to submit to the Court the cost estimates for building a ramp to the library and for building ceilings on the ramps at AVR’s school, and to inform the Court on the status of obtaining funds to execute this building project, no later than May 11, 2015. The Court also ORDERS the parties to notify the Court on the status of the exchange of AVR’s attendance certifications and transportation reimbursement payments no later than May 11, 2015.

I. BACKGROUND

A. Factual Allegations1

AVR has been diagnosed with spina bifida, hydrocephalia, and cerebral palsy, and requires a wheelchair to move from one place to another. (Docket No. 1 ¶ 12.) She is registered with the Puerto Rico Department of Education (“PR DOE”) as a student with disabilities and currently attends Mariano Feliú Balseiro School (“MFB School”). Id. at ¶¶ 13, 23. Her mother, Ms. Rivera, drives AVR to MFB School and to therapy sessions. Id. at ¶ 24.

MFB School does not have wheelchair access to its library. (Docket No. 1 at ¶ 26.) Therefore, AVR cannot go to the library yvith her classmates who are able to walk. Id. at ¶ 27. Furthermore, the ramps to the second floor of MFB School and to the bathroom designated for AVR to use her catheter at school do not have ceilings, making those places inaccessible to AVR when it rains. (Docket No. 39-1 at p. 2.)2

MFB School has an independent living classroom in which, pursuant to AVR’s Individualized Education Plan (“IEP”), AVR is supposed to develop skills that will allow her to become as self-sufficient as possible. (Docket No. 1 at ¶ 31.) One of these skills is cooking. Id. The cooking equipment, or part of it, in the independent living classroom, however, is set at a height out of AVR’s reach, and she is consequently hindered from developing this skill in class. Id. at ¶¶ 32-33. The independent living classroom also lacks air conditioning. Id. at ¶ 34. Because AVR’s wheelchair and the MFB School uniform are black, the heat causes AVR to develop urinary infections. Id.

B. Defendants’ Admissions

In their answer to plaintiffs’ complaint, defendants admit that AVR suffers from spina bifida, hydrocephalia, and cerebral palsy, and that she is registered with the PR DOE as a student with disabilities. (Docket No. 29 at ¶¶ 3-4.) Defendants also admit in their answer that there is no wheelchair access to the library at AVR’s school and that the ramp to the second floor at her school has no ceiling. Id. at ¶¶ 10,12.

Counsel for defendants conceded in open court at the April 10, 2015, hearing (1) that a cost estimate and blueprints have been prepared to build a ramp to the library at MFB School; (2) that the ramp to the [385]*385library will be built when funding is approved; (3) that building a ceiling on the ramps that lead to the second floor and to the area designated for AVR to use her catheter is also included in the same cost estimate; (4) that some of the cooking equipment in the independent living classroom is out of AVR’s reach; (5) that MFB School will allow AVR to wear non-uniform clothing to make her more comfortable in the heat; and (6) that MFB School will add more fans to alleviate the heat in AVR’s classroom. (Prelim. Inj. Hr’g Tr. at pp. 2-3, 7,11-13.)

C. Administrative Proceedings

On October 2,. 2014, plaintiffs filed an administrative complaint based on two claims: transportation expenses reimbursement and wheelchair access. (Docket No. 50-1 at p. 2.) Plaintiffs moved to dismiss voluntarily without prejudice the wheelchair access claim on November 14, 2014. Id. The reason for plaintiffs’ voluntary dismissal of the wheelchair access claim has not been made known to the Court. Plaintiffs were represented in the administrative proceedings by the same legal counsel representing plaintiffs in this action. See id. at p. 1.

On January 30, 2015, the administrative law judge (“ALJ”) ruled on the transportation claim. (Docket No. 50-1.) He concluded that the Special Education Transportation Division of the PR DOE must follow the Education Secretary’s guidelines, which indicate that the transportation reimbursement rates for the 2013-2014 academic year are those established by the Public Service Commission. Id. at p. 9. The ALJ also concluded that the rate of $0.40 per mile applies to transportation reimbursement for the 2014-2015 academic year. Id. The ALJ ordered the PR DOE, “upon receiving certifications from Complainant regarding attendance to school and therapy, and confirmfing] the same were duly issued by the Public Service Commission, [to] pay Complainant within thirty (30) calendar days, .what is owed for therapy sessions for the -2013-2014 school year, by following the Education Secretary’s- guidelines.” Id. at p. 10.

II. WHEELCHAIR ACCESS CLAIM

Defendants move to dismiss plaintiffs’ wheelchair access claim, arguing that plaintiffs’ failure to exhaust administrative remedies for that claim, as required by the IDEA, strips the Court of subject matter jurisdiction over the claim. (Docket No. 28 at pp. 9-12.)

Plaintiffs concede that they did not exhaust administrative remedies for their wheelchair access claim. (Docket No. 42 at pp. 2-5.) Plaintiffs argue, however, that they were entitled to bypass administrative remedies because exhausting . those remedies would have been futile and would have caused irreparable harm to AVR. Id.

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102 F. Supp. 3d 381, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 59241, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rivera-quinones-v-department-of-education-prd-2015.