Thursday, October 12, 2017
The Justice Department announced today that it reached an agreement with Bar-T Year Round Programs for Kids (Bar-T), located in Montgomery County, Maryland, to remedy alleged violations of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The Department investigated whether Bar-T discriminated against a student with a disability, specifically Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and her parents when it expelled the student on the basis of behaviors associated with ASD, without properly considering whether Bar-T staff could implement reasonable modifications to permit the student to remain enrolled.
The Settlement Agreement requires Bar-T to adopt a nondiscrimination policy; designate staff at each operating location to address ADA issues; implement a process for parents or guardians of children with disabilities to request reasonable modifications and for Bar-T to conduct an individualized assessment of each request; provide ADA training to staff; and report on compliance with the agreement. Bar-T will also pay $13,500 in compensatory damages to the student and her parents.
To find out more about this agreement, or the ADA,
call the Justice Department's toll-free ADA information line at 1-800-514-0301 or
1-800-514-0383 (TDD), or access its ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Article Credit: U.S. Department of Justice