NORTH TEXAS — Some Denton ISD parents say their federal rights are being violated in the treatment of their children receiving special education services. They are seeking help from the federal government and an audit of the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
Tanya East believes her 4-year-old son, who has autism, is being discriminated against at Denton ISD schools.
“Unfortunately, if we don’t speak up, we won’t be heard, so I feel like we need to come forward and speak up,” she said.
Last year, she began documenting her concerns. One of the biggest concerns is that some Denton ISD teachers who provide special education services are not certified by the state.
“My son barely had a certified teacher last year,” she said. “Rooms are not well staffed and that leads to neglect. Sometimes we would go through the day changing diapers once or twice. Other times they would not be changed for several hours. ”
East then met with Denton ISD parents of children with special needs who shared similar concerns.
“My daughter is in special education,” Sandoval said. “This is her third school year. Last year, my daughter did not have a certified special education teacher. “We are not providing special education services to our daughter.”
“I am extremely concerned that students with disabilities in Denton ISD are being underserved and experiencing systemic discrimination,” East said.
Federal law prohibits disability discrimination and guarantees that students with disabilities have equal access to educational opportunities, including free appropriate public education (FAPE) in public elementary and secondary schools.
East and Sandoval said special education advocate Karen Mayer Cunningham filed a complaint on their behalf with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR).
A DOE spokesperson told CBS News Texas that they have not confirmed the complaint, but directed them to a website that lists two open investigations into Denton ISD’s FAPE. Ta.
“Even though I have met with the principal and superintendent multiple times and have the proper chain of command, I still feel like we are not being heard,” Sandoval said.
In a statement to CBS News Texas, a Denton ISD spokesperson wrote:
“Denton ISD does not discriminate and we will continue to work with parents to meet the needs of all students.
Out of the 33,348 students we serve, we are aware of two complaints filed with the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.
One involves a general education student in football, but that person is not currently enrolled in Denton ISD.
We are aware of one complaint related to special education out of more than 5,400 students served by the Denton ISD Special Education Department. This includes preschool students who are eligible for and currently receiving special education services. Prior to filing this complaint, the parents agreed with Denton ISD at every ARD meeting and were cooperative until hiring the consultants mentioned.
Please note that OCR complaints can take up to five years to resolve.
Denton ISD is committed to serving students of all abilities. ”
“We want to see Denton ISD on the right path,” East said.
Tomorrow, parents and Cunningham are scheduled to host a press conference outside the Denton ISD central office at 6 p.m.
CBS News Texas reached out to Denton ISD tonight for comment. We look forward to your reply.
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