In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled yesterday in the case of A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools that a lower standard of proof is required for disabled students and their families when bringing certain types of lawsuits under federal disability rights laws.
Osseo, Minnesota (Doug Wallick/Flickr Creative Commons)Before this ruling, some lower courts had applied a much higher bar for families to prove that a school violated disability rights. They required that students with a disability and their families prove the school or district acted with “bad faith or gross misjudgment.” That’s an unusually high standard. It means the plaintiff would need to show something like intentional harm or a truly outrageous failure by the school, which is rarely documented or provable.
Now, thanks to this ruling, the correct and uniform standard is “deliberate indifference.” This means that if a school knew about a disability-related problem and chose not to act appropriately, it can be held accountable. This is the same standard used in many other disability rights claims outside of schools.
The ruling provides students with disabilities more equitable access to justice. They now have the same standard of legal protection as other people with disabilities in different contexts, such as in public transportation, public accommodations, or employment.
They also have an easier path to sue when their rights under federal disability laws are violated. If a school ignores clear signs that a student is struggling due to a disability, or if it fails to implement supports in a meaningful way, families no longer have to prove that the school was acting maliciously or with extreme recklessness. They just need to show the school knew and failed to act reasonably.
Holding schools accountable
This ruling holds schools to a reasonable duty to respond to disability-related needs. They can’t just plead ignorance or hide behind high legal thresholds. Schools and districts will need to ensure their staff members understand their obligations to meet the reasonable educational needs of students with disabilities. They might do this by:
- Adjusting policies and providing training for staff: Districts will need to ensure their staff understand the legal obligation to respond promptly and reasonably when a student’s disability-related needs arise. These needs may arise through an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a 504 Plan, or general school supports.
- Schools will have to seriously manage their legal risks. They may face increased litigation if they don’t take disability accommodations seriously or fail to act on clear evidence of need. Proactive compliance will be more important than ever.
- Finally, they may experience a cultural shift in responsibility. The decision encourages a more responsive and inclusive school culture where being passive or negligent in supporting disabled students is no longer legally tolerated.
Beyond schools
This decision sends a strong message that students with disabilities deserve the same dignity and legal protection as anyone else. It aligns K–12 public education more fully with broader civil rights law. And by affirming a consistent standard nationwide, it helps reduce legal confusion and prevents schools in some circuits from operating under more lenient rules.
In Chief Justice Roberts’s words, the majority opinion ensures that an unfair legal burden won’t compound the “daunting challenges” faced by disabled students. That’s a major step forward in making schools truly accessible and accountable.
