Supreme Court unanimously sides with Deaf Michigan student
Today the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in favor of a Deaf Michigan student, Miguel Luna Perez, who wanted to sue the Sturgis Public Schools for compensatory damages due to violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because he was not provided with a qualified interpreter for 12 years when he was 9 to 20 years old.
Lower federal courts blocked Perez’s lawsuit, siding with the Sturgis school district’s argument that he must exhaust administrative processes under a different federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). But now the Supreme Court has sided with Perez, allowing him to proceed with his ADA lawsuit.
To review the case, Perez and his family were misled into thinking he was doing well in school for years because he received good, passing grades. The school district provided him with aides that were not fluent in ASL. When it was time for Perez to graduate, the school district said they wouldn’t give him a diploma, which shocked Perez and his family. Later, a psychologist found that Perez suffered linguistic deprivation due to neglect from the Sturgis school district.
Perez took legal action against the Michigan Department of Education and reached a settlement on the school district’s failure to comply with the IDEA’s requirement to provide children with disabilities a free and appropriate public education. A part of that settlement included supporting Perez’s continuing education at the Michigan School for the Deaf.
Perez then sued Sturgis in federal court seeking compensatory damages on the basis that his ADA rights were violated. Two federal courts ruled against him because they said Perez did not exhaust administrative processes under the IDEA. Perez and his attorneys appealed the case all the way to the Supreme Court.
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The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on January 18. Today the Supreme Court said it ruled 9-0 in favor of Perez. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the opinion, saying they found nothing in the IDEA that would bar Perez from suing for ADA violations. Gorsuch said Perez’s ADA lawsuit is seeking something that the IDEA cannot provide, which is compensatory damages. Gorsuch said the case holds consequences for Perez and a great many children with disabilities and their parents.
Perez’s attorney who argued the case, Roman Martinez, said, “We are thrilled with today’s decision. The Court’s 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 ADA.”
Martinez is a partner with the law firm Latham & Watkins. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and Disability Rights Michigan, along with the Law Office of Ellen Marjorie Saideman, served as co-counsel.
So, this is a victory for Miguel Luna Perez and it provides deaf and disabled people nationwide with stronger rights if they experience discrimination in education.
https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/21-887_k53m.pdf
https://www.dailymoth.com/blog/supreme-court-hears-arguments-on-case-involving-deaf-student
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/supreme-court-rules-deaf-student-education-case-98016277