OLRS 2008 Annual Report
Doe v. State of Ohio

OLRS represents eight students with disabilities, their parents, and a plaintiff class of over 250,000 Ohio students with disabilities in Doe v. State of Ohio. OLRS brought the case to ensure that state officials were meeting their obligations of ensuring that children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA), and because of the impact that inequities in Ohio's school funding scheme have on the education of these children. Plaintiffs seek relief under IDEIA, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the U.S. Constitution.

The central claim advanced by the Doe plaintiffs is that Ohio's system of special education does not provide eligible children a FAPE, and that the state fails to exercise its general supervisory responsibilities to monitor and enforce school districts' compliance with federal law.

Settlement discussions between representatives of the Ohio Department of Education and the plaintiffs is ongoing. These discussions are addressing the state monitoring and complaint systems but discussions regarding funding have been deferred.