WTOP: DC’s buses for students with disabilities are often late, don’t provide accommodations, lawsuit says
Scott Gelman of WTOP reports on a class action lawsuit filed by Children’s Law Center, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs, The Arc of the United States and McDermott Will & Emery:
Joann McCray, who’s son has autism, said she’s been experiencing bus issues for years. He was an honor roll student, she said, but that’s changing now that the bus has been late. He sometimes misses morning classes.
When her son arrives at school late, it’s usually around lunchtime, McCray said. Sometimes, if the bus takes too long to pick him up, he’ll ask to stay home.
Occasionally, when her son doesn’t get to school on time because of a transportation issue, the disruption in routine has an impact. McCray said he has meltdowns, and the school calls her to calm him down.
“This is just a mess,” McCray said. “It shouldn’t have to be this way when you’re depending on something that should always be available.”
Buses are so inconsistent, the lawsuit said, that one 14-year-old student was late to school 90 times during the 2022-23 academic year.
The District is Failing to Provide Transportation for Students with Disabilities
Parents and guardians of children with disabilities living in the District of Columbia, along with The Arc of the United States, filed a class action lawsuit on March 7, 2024 against DC’s Office of the State Superintendent for Education for failing to provide safe, reliable and effective transportation to and from schools for children with disabilities, thereby denying students equal access to their education and unnecessarily segregating them from their peers.