NJ Spotlight published the following article on February 6, 2014. To read the full article, click here.
STATE READY TO SETTLE 2007 LAWSUIT OVER PLACEMENT OF SPECIAL-ED STUDENTS
JOHN MOONEY | FEBRUARY 6, 2014
A seven-year-old federal lawsuit challenging the state Department of Education’s oversight of special education in New Jersey is close to settlement.
The state Board of Education was expected yesterday to put the final signature on the case Disability Rights New Jersey et al. v. New Jersey Department of Education, et al. The board’s meeting was canceled due to the weather, with a rescheduled date yet to be announced.
Once signed by the board and approved by the federal District Court Judge Mary Little Cooper, the agreement would bring to a close a suit filed in 2007 by the state’s top disability advocates over the state’s failure to adequately ensure special education students were being served in the “least restrictive environment,” as required by law.