In a significant step toward ensuring educational equity for students with disabilities, Disability Rights Arizona (DRAZ) has secured substantial individual and systemic relief following a state complaint filed in November 2024 on behalf of a Deaf student previously enrolled in the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and Blind (ASDB).
The complaint was filed with the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) regarding violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) on behalf of one of our student clients. Following an investigation, ADE released an 18-page investigative report detailing numerous findings of noncompliance, and a letter of corrective action requiring extensive individual and systemic relief. See attached report.
The student, an eighth grader, had attended ASDB throughout his academic career until the school abruptly removed him due to his diagnosis of autism, claiming it could not serve him because his primary disability was no longer sensory in nature. Without agreement from the receiving school district or the provision of necessary supports, such as an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, the student was sent back to what ASDB incorrectly identified as his home district, severely disrupting his education and violating IDEA’s procedural and substantive protections.
The state complaint alleged several procedural violations and failure to provide the student with speech therapy, occupational therapy, and counseling services required by his IEP for the entire 2023-2024 school year. On January 13, 2025, the ADE sent an investigative report with findings of noncompliance and a letter of corrective action.
The letter of corrective action includes the following requirements:
- ASDB must work with a Special Monitor and the student to develop a plan to provide the student with compensatory education in all areas he was denied;
- ASDB must audit its records to identify all other students who were enrolled in an ASDB school and did not receive the related services required by their IEPs during the relevant timeframe;
- ASDB must develop action plans to avoid these issues in the future;
- ASDB must provide training to its staff on the various IDEA requirements that were not met in this case.
Amanda Glass and Jessica Jansepar Ross, DRAZ attorneys, stated they are “pleased with the outcome of this state complaint and expect the corrective action to have a broad impact for the many Arizona students who are served by ASDB”.
DRAZ is hopeful that this thorough investigation and extensive corrective action reflects a new standard that complainants can expect from ADE moving forward. Particularly considering changes to federal special education administration and enforcement, it is promising to see ADE taking appropriate steps to fulfill its responsibility for ensuring compliance with IDEA in Arizona. DRAZ will continue monitoring the implementation of the corrective action and remains committed to protecting the rights of all students with disabilities in Arizona.