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Supreme Court: Parents Needn't a Lawyer to Sue School Districts

By Ana Tintocalis / Education Reporter,  KPBS Public Broadcasting
Published May 22, 2007 at 4:03 PM PDT
This story was published more than 17 years ago.

San Diego County parents who have kids with disabilities were applauding a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday. The justices say moms and dads don't have to hire a lawyer to sue a school district. KP

San Diego County parents who have kids with disabilities were applauding a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday. The justices say moms and dads don't have to hire a lawyer to sue a school district. KPBS reporter Ana Tintocalis has more.

The Supreme Court case involved a Cleveland mom who wanted to sue her local school district in federal court for not providing adequate education programs for her autistic son. But the district said she couldn't until she hired a lawyer. In the end, the justices ruled in favor of the mom. The decision will impact local cases.

County PTA president Brian Bonner says it's a good ruling because parents are their child's best advocate. 

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Bonner : They're the ones that have their child's best interest at heart. It’s important that parents be able to advocate for to the best extent possible for their kids.

Bonner says many parents decide against court because they can't afford a lawyer or can't find one. School district officials believe the ruling will lead to more lawsuits and result in higher legal costs for public schools.

Ana Tintocalis, KPBS News.

Ana Tintocalis
Ana Tintocalis was a member of the KPBS radio news team from 2001 to 2011. She first served as a as a producer for "These Days" (now "Midday Edition") and then later as the station's education reporter. After graduating from California State University, Long Beach with a journalism degree, Ana began working as a field reporter and anchor at KLON Radio 88.1 FM in Long Beach, covering breaking news in Orange and Los Angeles counties. During that time she also freelanced for other print and broadcast news organizations, such as Metro Networks, the Associated Press, and Santa Clarita Our Times. In 2001, Ana traveled for more than three months in Cuba where she produced a radio series focusing on the street music in Havana. Upon returning from her journey, Ana freelanced as a reporter covering court cases for the Antelope Valley Press, a newspaper based in Palmdale, California.
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