Interesting Case: Restraining Order Against Down Syndrome Pupil

So far I've never had to file a restraining order or take legal action against a student. So I find this story interesting... (read more by clicking the link above).

February 24 - So far I've never had to file a restraining order or take legal action against a student. So I find this story in a Maryland weekly newspaper, the Gazette, interesting. The story is about a student with Down syndrome at an elementary school in Frederick County, Md. The student has been "disruptive" in the school's program for disabled students. The restraining order prevents the student, William, from coming to school while the school system and William's mother try to resolve a due process hearing. The school says it thinks that William is a danger to himself and other students; they want to move William to a different school - one that only children with disabilities attend. The mother thinks William could benefit from mainstreaming, or being in class with students who aren't disabled. Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that usually leaves students with a distinctive appearance, some health issues, and moderate mental retardation (although IQ in Down syndrome individuals can vary widely). A due process hearing is a legal procedure designed to provide a way to resolve disagreements between a student's family and a school system. While they don't have to, due process hearings eventually progress to the point coming before an actual judge in court. One of the things that makes this case especially interesting is its geography: a due process hearing from neighboring Montgomery County, Md., made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court last year. In that case, Schaffer v. Weast, the Supreme Court made a monumental decision by placing the burden of proof in a due process hearing on the plaintiff - which is usually the disabled student and family...