WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday for a deaf student who sued his public school system for providing an inadequate education. The case is significant for other disabled students who allege they were failed by school officials.
The involves Miguel Luna Perez, who attended public school in Sturgis, Michigan. Perez鈥檚 lawyers told the court that for 12 years the school system neglected the boy and lied to his parents about the progress he was making, permanently stunting his ability to communicate.
The justices ruled that after Perez and his family settled a complaint against the school system 鈥 with officials agreeing to pay for additional schooling and sign language instruction 鈥 they could pursue money damages under a different federal law. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in a that the case 鈥渉olds consequences not just for Mr. Perez but for a great many children with disabilities and their parents.鈥
It remains difficult for Perez, who emigrated to the United States from Mexico at age 9, to make himself understood. Perez鈥檚 lawyers say the school system failed him by providing an aide who was not trained to work with deaf students, did not know sign language and in later years left him alone for hours at a time. After over a decade, Perez did not know any formal sign language and communicated through invented signs that anyone unfamiliar with his unique signing did not understand, his lawyers have said.
Meanwhile, the school awarded him inflated grades and his parents believed he was on track to earn his high school diploma. Just before graduation, however, his family was told he qualified only for a 鈥渃ertificate of completion."
His family responded by pursuing claims under two laws: the broad Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against disabled people, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The latter guarantees children with disabilities a free public education that is tailored to their specific needs.
Perez鈥檚 family and the school district ultimately settled the IDEA claims. The district agreed to pay for extra schooling and sign language instruction for Perez and his family, among other things, and he graduated from the Michigan School for the deaf in 2020. After the settlement, the family went to federal court and, under the ADA, sought monetary damages, which are not available under the IDEA.
Lower courts said Perez was barred from pursuing his ADA claims because of language in the IDEA, but the Supreme Court disagreed. Gorsuch wrote: 鈥淲e clarify that nothing鈥 in the IDEA 鈥渂ars his way.鈥
Perez鈥檚 lawyer Roman Martinez said in an emailed statement: 鈥淲e are thrilled with today鈥檚 decision. The Court鈥檚 ruling vindicates the rights of students with disabilities to obtain full relief when they suffer discrimination. Miguel and his family look forward to pursuing their legal claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act."
The superintendent of Sturgis Public Schools, Arthur Ebert, who joined the district after the settlement, said in an email that he was 鈥渘ot in a position to comment on the details or the outcome of the case.鈥 But he said that he believes 鈥渢hat every experience provides us with an opportunity to learn and grow."
鈥淭hrough this too,鈥 he said, "we will gain knowledge, insight, and understanding that will help us maximize every student鈥檚 true potential.鈥
The Biden administration had also urged the court to side with Perez. The case is Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools, 21-887.
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