The Southern Poverty Law Center filed a lawsuit in November 2023 on behalf of a DeKalb County School District student alleging violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act after the district failed to provide special education services for them despite years of demonstrated need.
The district first noticed that T.W. struggled to read when she was in 2nd grade, but it failed to provide her with any special education services despite multiple evaluations showing strong signs of dyslexia until she was in 8th grade.
In 9th grade, when the lawsuit was filed, T.W. read at an elementary school level. She struggled to read without pictures, to learn the names and sounds of letters, to spell and to separate words into sounds and to write. She also struggled with math, which requires reading and calculating numbers. Despite her severe academic deficits, the district failed to provide T.W. with appropriate services and supports.
The lawsuit was settled in May 2024. The DeKalb County School District agreed to pay $49,000 for intensive, individualized instruction by a specially trained tutor using proven methods developed for students with dyslexia.
