In a case that is expected to have consequences for school districts’ financial liability in Section 504 and ADA cases, on April 27, 2025 the U.S. Supreme Court (Court) heard arguments in A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools, which began with a question of whether K-12 students with disabilities have to meet a higher legal bar than other Americans to win damages for violations under Title II of the American Disabilities Act or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Section 504 and ADA apply to all Americans, including students, in federally funded programs and public settings, respectively, and both statutes provide monetary relief for violations. This is in contrast to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which applies only to education settings and does not allow financial damages.
The Court, in its own summary of the case, said it would decide, “Whether the ADA and Rehabilitation Act require children with disabilities to satisfy a uniquely stringent ‘bad faith or gross misjudgment’ standard when seeking relief for discrimination relating to their education.”
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