In March 2020, while a 7th grade middle school student, O.L. suffered a severe and tragic medical condition that left her unable to effectively communicate and perform self-care tasks, like dressing, feeding, and traveling outside of her home. O.L.’s mother pleaded with the school district to provide O.L. with reasonable accommodations, so that O.L. could effectively communicate and access her public education.
The district not only denied O.L. accommodations but also withdrew O.L. from school without her mother’s knowledge or consent. The district failed to provide O.L. with any academic instruction or educational services after December 2020.
In 2023, O.L. retained local counsel and sued in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia on grounds of intentional disability discrimination; retaliation and coercion; failure to provide an appropriate education; and violation of the U.S. Constitution’s equal protection clause.
In August 2025, the Southern Poverty Law Center was asked to join as co-counsel to support the solo practitioner handling the case. The SPLC Democracy: Education and Youth litigation team has filed a motion for partial summary judgment against the Cobb County School District and opposed defendants’ four motions for summary judgment.
