Washington, D.C. – Today, Tuesday, March 24th, 2020, Representative Mark Green sent a letter to Senators Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer urging them to waive the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in Congress’ coronavirus relief legislation and and give school districts more time to implement proper protocols given the extraordinary circumstances of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Representative Green said, “Secretary DeVos needs this waiver authority during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Without a waiver, school districts will be in violation, and costly litigation will occur against States and districts who operate in good faith to provide services to their communities.”
“IDEA is the fourth most litigated Federal civil statute in the United States, and school districts cannot afford unnecessary legal actions during this crisis.”
“I support IDEA and want all school districts to be equipped to meet the needs of their students. However, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has forced us all to make difficult choices. Students may not even return to school this year. Districts are already being inundated with due process requests, OCR complaints, and even Federal lawsuits.”
“Unnecessary legal action hurts all students and teachers. It is fiscally irresponsible to not protect our States and school districts from frivolous lawsuits simply because they fail to meet all obligations during a national emergency.”
See Representative Mark Green’s full letter here:
