DREDF, along with five other disability and civil rights advocacy organizations, filed an amicus or “friend of the court” brief in the California Court of Appeals in a case called Wong v. Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (no. B327589). The case was brought on behalf of twin brothers with autism who were subject to abuse and violence by their aide. The twins’ parents filed suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court under California’s Ralph Civil Rights Act, among other claims. At trial, the parents were awarded a $45 million judgment.
The amicus brief highlights California’s history of disability discrimination and violence in public schools, intentional violence based on disability, and the plain language and purpose of the Ralph Civil Rights Act. The brief also discusses the disproportionate impact on California’s most vulnerable students should the court adopt the District’s proposed heightened “animus” standard which would be inconsistent with comparable and expansive federal and state disability laws.