The Federal District Court in New Jersey this week ruled that a major suit can go forward against the New Jersey Department of Education. The suit is premised on allegations that New Jersey has systemically excluded special needs students from being educated in inclusive settings. As reported:
"The complaint
charges that the defendants violated both the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act by systemically placing students with disabilities in segregated,
disabled-only classrooms. For years, New Jersey has had the worst
record in the nation in complying with the IDEA and Section 504
mandates to educate students with disabilities in the "least
restrictive environment," alongside their non-disabled peers."
Score one for the good guys! We need a whole lot more like this case to make a real dent but it is a nice start in big state.