DC public schools (DCPS) Chancellor Lewis Ferebee said that the school system will comply with the order of a federal judge about providing special education services to students held at the DC Jail.
The judge’s decision came in response to a class action lawsuit filed against the District back in April by incarcerated students at the DC Jail.
Lawyers representing around 40 students with disabilities accused the city of violating the federal law by failing to provide virtual or in-person classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the lawsuit, the students did not have regular interactions with teachers for over a year.
The plaintiffs are part of DC’s Inspiring Youth Program which is operated by DCPS at the DC Jail.
According to the lawsuit, DCPS provided class materials and video-conference classes for students learning from home after it stopped in-person classes in March 2020, but never resumed classes in any format for the nearly 40 students enrolled in DCPS at the DC Jail complex. All of these students have disabilities and special education needs, the plaintiffs say.
During that time, the students claim they only received work packets sporadically at their cells or on tablets without instructions from teachers.
“These work packets are inaccessible for students with disabilities, many of whom, are functioning below grade level in reading comprehension and writing skills,” the lawsuit explained. “Then, after the work is collected, the students never see their assignments again and receive little to no feedback except for generalized progress reports or final grades at the end of each term.”
Following the judge’s preliminary injunction Thursday, Chancellor Ferebee acknowledged the school system’s failure during the public health crisis, and said they will continue providing students with in-person education.
“That’s been a part of our strategy for ensuring that incarcerated youth continued to the education process,” said Ferebee.
The city will not respond to the court’s order within the 15 days it has, and instead, resume the service for the attendees of the DC Jail’s Inspiring Youth Program.