Families鈥� Attorneys Threaten to Sue Cobb County Schools to Protect Rights of Students with Disabilities
ATLANTA 鈥� The 澳彩开奖聽(澳彩开奖)聽and two Atlanta area law firms聽are聽demanding the Cobb County School District聽immediately聽implement COVID-19 safety protocols聽in聽their schools聽to protect聽the rights of聽students with disabilities, including聽those with聽underlying medical聽vulnerabilities,聽to avoid a federal lawsuit, according to聽a letter聽they聽sent today聽notifying the district of the groups鈥� intent to sue.
The letter,聽sent on聽behalf of Cobb County families聽of聽children with disabilities,聽urged聽Superintendent聽Chris Ragsdale聽and members of the school board聽to聽modify its policies and practices聽by聽next week聽in order to accommodate students with disabilities聽and allow them to attend school safely in-person.聽Currently, the district鈥檚 policies and practices do not comply with聽Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)聽guidelines聽for K-12 schools,聽and do not require students聽and school personnel聽to wear masks聽in schools and on buses.
Children with certain disabilities have a higher risk of severe illness or death if they contract COVID-19 or variants of the virus.聽Currently,聽attending school in-person聽in Cobb County聽Schools jeopardizes their health and safety聽because聽of the聽district鈥檚 failure to聽implement聽COVID-19 safety protocols, including requiring its students to wear masks.聽Students are expected to return from fall break on Oct. 4.
The 澳彩开奖, along with聽the聽聽and the聽聽are representing聽the families.聽The groups鈥櫬爈etter聽explains聽that the district鈥檚聽refusal聽to聽implement聽proven strategies聽offered聽by the聽CDC聽and supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics聽and the Cobb County Board of Health聽to reduce virus transmission聽unlawfully exclude聽students聽with disabilities聽from attending school in-person聽by denying them the full benefits of a public education in a safe and accessible learning environment.聽The district鈥檚 actions聽constitute聽ongoing discrimination under federal laws that protect students with disabilities聽and ensure equal access to public education, the letter states.
鈥淭he聽district's聽decision to not implement CDC COVID mitigation guidelines is causing parents of students with significant medical conditions to make an impossible choice:聽their child's education or their child's lives,鈥� said聽Allison聽Vrolijk聽of the聽Law Office of Allison B.聽Vrolijk. 鈥淭his unconscionable position can be easily remedied聽through聽measures taken by innumerable other school districts across Georgia, but the Cobb County Superintendent and School Board have chosen not to.鈥燱e聽hope that they do the right thing聽and聽show that they care about the health and well-being of聽all聽of their students.鈥�
Despite聽persistent聽calls from parents and state and local health experts聽for a聽mask mandate and other聽safety protocols聽in the district, certain members of the Cobb County School Board聽refuse聽to聽include COVID-19聽on their聽meeting agenda, including the meeting scheduled on September 23, 2021.聽Due to a policy change after the November 2020 election, agenda items聽now聽require a majority vote of聽its聽seven聽members, which are split along racial and political lines.
In Cobb County schools, more than 60% of students are children of color and there are approximately 15,000 students with disabilities聽enrolled. However, issues of importance to聽students聽and聽communities聽of color,聽and students with disabilities,聽are too often defeated by聽a 4-3 split vote聽with the board鈥檚 four white聽Republican聽members,聽Scamihorn, Banks, Chastain, and Wheeler,聽voting against them.
鈥淟ike many other policies and practices聽in Cobb County聽schools, the聽district鈥檚 latest decision聽to ignore basic safety precautions for students, led聽by Ragsdale and聽the majority聽board members,聽is聽rooted聽in聽discrimination聽and systemic racism. These聽officials聽continue to聽put聽politics聽ahead of聽Cobb County鈥檚 diverse student聽population,聽and聽propaganda ahead of聽public health聽and common-sense science,鈥� said聽Mike Tafelski,聽澳彩开奖聽senior supervising attorney.聽鈥淲e聽are asking聽these Board members聽and Superintendent Ragsdale聽to聽put聽their聽politics and biases聽aside聽and聽consider the needs of the聽students they were聽selected to serve.鈥澛�
