Lawsuit Claims Denver Teacher Strike Could Harm Special Needs Students
February 12, 2019
By: Matthew S. Schwartz
Source: NPR
More than 10,000 special education students will be “extremely impacted” by the Denver teacher strike, a new class action lawsuit alleges. The suit, brought on behalf of the students against the school district — on the first day of the strike — argues that without trained teachers and caregivers, the students will be put in jeopardy.
“Many of the students in this group are in need of the most critical support to maintain their health and safety, including students with severe intellectual disabilities and serious health conditions,” says the lawsuit, filed Monday in federal district court by a Colorado law firm. Lawyers are asking that the school district “immediately inform the parents of all disabled children how it will meet the special education needs of those children during the strike.”
Thousands of Denver teachers walked out Monday, after the teachers union and the school district couldn’t agree on how much teachers would be paid. All Denver Public Schools were open except for pre-schools. “The district said they didn’t have the staff with that higher level of training that’s needed for young kids,” Colorado Public Radio’s Jenny Brundin told All Things Considered.