T.M. ex rel. A.M. v. Cornwall Central School District

900 F. Supp. 2d 344, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 147011, 2012 WL 4714796
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedSeptember 26, 2012
DocketNo. 11 CV 6459(VB)
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 900 F. Supp. 2d 344 (T.M. ex rel. A.M. v. Cornwall Central School District) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
T.M. ex rel. A.M. v. Cornwall Central School District, 900 F. Supp. 2d 344, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 147011, 2012 WL 4714796 (S.D.N.Y. 2012).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM DECISION

BRICCETTI, District Judge.

Plaintiff T.M. (“TM”), by his parents A.M. and R.M. (collectively “parents”), bring this action pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (“IDEA”),1 20 U.S.C. § 1400, et seq., against defendant Cornwall Central [346]*346School District (“the district”). Parents seek judicial review of a decision by a State Review Officer (“SRO”) at the New York State Education Department which found the district’s proposed Individualized Education Program (“IEP”) fpr the 2010-11 academic year offered TM a free appropriate public education (“FAPE”).

Parents move for summary judgment (Doc. # 7) and the district cross-moves for summary judgment (Doc. # 15).2 For the reasons set forth below, parents’ motion is DENIED, and the district’s motion is GRANTED.

The Court has subject matter jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331.

BACKGROUND

1. Statutory Framework

The IDEA was enacted to promote the education of disabled children. See Bd. of Educ. of the Hendrick Hudson Cent. Sch. Dist. v. Rowley, 458 U.S. 176, 179, 102 S.Ct. 3034, 73 L.Ed.2d 690 (1982). States receiving public funds are required to provide a FAPE to children with disabilities. 20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(1)(A). Public school districts must provide “special education and related services tailored to meet the unique needs of a particular child, [which are] ‘reasonably calculated to enable the child to receive educational benefits.’ ” Walczak v. Fla. Union Free Sch. Dist., 142 F.3d 119, 122 (2d Cir.1998) (quoting Rowley, 458 U.S. at 207, 102 S.Ct. 3034). These services are determined by the student’s IEP, which school districts must develop periodically in collaboration with the child’s parents. See 20 U.S.C. § 1414(d)(2)(A).

In New York, if the parents disagree with any part of the IEP process they may request an impartial due process hearing, which is administered by an impartial hearing officer (“IHO”) appointed by the local board of education. See 20 U.S.C. § 1415(f); N.Y. Educ. Law § 4404(l)(a). The IHO’s decision may be appealed to an SRO. See N.Y. Educ. Law § 4404(2); see also 20 U.S.C. § 1415(g). The SRO’s decision may be challenged in state or federal court. See 20 U.S.C. § 1415(i)(2)(A).

A board of education may be required to reimburse parents for private educational services if: (1) the services offered by the board of education were inadequate or inappropriate; (2) the services selected by the parents were appropriate; and (3) equitable considerations favor the parents’ claim. See Sch. Comm. of Burlington v. Dep’t of Educ., 471 U.S. 359, 369-70, 374, 105 S.Ct. 1996, 85 L.Ed.2d 385 (1985); Florence County Sch. Dist. Four v. Carter, 510 U.S. 7, 114 S.Ct. 361, 126 L.Ed.2d 284 (1993) (the “Burlington factors”).

II. Factual Background3

A. TM’s Early Education

TM is an autistic child who was born July 29, 2004. He was classified as a child with a disability around the age of two and is eligible for special education services from the district. (Tr. at 38-40.)4 In [347]*347preschool, TM attended a general education program and received occupational therapy (“OT”), physical therapy (“PT”), and speech-language therapy. (Id. at 40-47.) He also received Special Education Itinerant Teacher (“SEIT”) services provided by a board certified behavior analyst (“BCBA”) both at home and at school, and his parents received training and counseling. (Id.)

In anticipation of TM’s transition to school-age programming, the district convened its Committee on Special Education (“CSE”) in Spring 2009. (Tr. at 47-48.) The CSE obtained educational, OT, PT, speech-language, and applied behavioral analysis (“ABA”) evaluations and prepared several IEPs for the 2009-10 school year. (Id. at 47-48, 51-56.)

Parents rejected the district’s proposals and unilaterally enrolled TM in a general education developmental kindergarten class at Butterhill Day School (“Butter-hill”), where he received SEIT, OT, PT, and speech-language services. (JX 15 at 1-2.) Parents privately arranged to continue the services contained in the May 29, 2009, IEP at them own expense. (Id.) The parents requested an impartial hearing, which was ultimately resolved by a stipulation of settlement on October 30, 2009. (Tr. at 51-53.) Parents agreed to pay for the Butterhill placement and the district agreed to reimburse parents for 25 hours per week of 1:1 SEIT services, three 30-minute sessions of 1:1 speech-language therapy per week, two 45-minute sessions of 1:1 OT per week, two 45-minute sessions of 1:1 PT per week, and three 60-minute sessions of parent counseling and training per month. The parties agreed that the stipulation constituted a monetary settlement of parents’ claims for the 2009-10 school year only, and did not constitute evidence of support for parents’ program. (JX 15 at 2.)

B. The 2010-11 IEP

The CSE performed several observations of TM at Butterhill in preparation for his 2010-11 IEP, and held meetings on March 19 and April 16, 2010, during which its members discussed potential educational programs. (JX 13.) The March 19, 2010, meeting participants included the district director of pupil personnel services, a first grade teacher, special education teacher, occupational and physical therapists, and a school psychologist; as well as TM’s private ABA program supervisor, occupational and speech-language therapists, and parents. (Tr. at 346; PX V at 2, 61.) The April 16, 2010, meeting participants included the district director of pupil personnel services, speech-language pathologist, occupational and physical therapists, school psychologist, special education teacher, and regular education teacher; as well as TM’s private ABA program supervisor, occupational and physical therapists, and TM’s mother. (JX 14 at 6.)

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Bluebook (online)
900 F. Supp. 2d 344, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 147011, 2012 WL 4714796, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tm-ex-rel-am-v-cornwall-central-school-district-nysd-2012.