Richmond school board settled lawsuit that charged the district failed to comply with disability laws
The Richmond, Virginia school board has settled a lawsuit that charged the school district failed to comply with state and federal disability laws. As part of the settlement the board admitted its failure to comply and agreed to develop a plan to make its facilities handicap accessible. The suit was brought by two parents and Citizens for Full Access, a group that advocates for accessibility issues. Although the settlement does not spell out how much it will cost to bring the schools into compliance, last year the board proposed a three-year, $17.1 million plan to address the issue. The plan was rejected by the city, however. David Hopper, the plaintiffs' attorney, says, "It is not a costless exercise. It is simply what the law requires, and it has to be done." The plan will affect all schools and ranges from accessibility to playgrounds to elevators to parking and wheel chair ramps. The suit named the school board, the city, the mayor, and the city council as defendants. The plaintiffs alleged that the board's own study reported that only four of the city's 60 school-system buildings were close to full compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The city's chief administrative officer, William E. Harrell, declines to comment on the settlement, saying "[i]t's a legal matter, so we'll have to evaluate it." City council president G. Manoli Loupassi also declines to comment because the suit was still pending, but noted that he favors compliance with the ADA. However, school board member Carol A.O. Wolf, an advocate for special education issues, applauds the board's unanimous vote to settle the suit.
Richmond Times-DispatchBy Lindsay Kastner
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