California OAH special education order · March 4, 2026
Notice of No Action
OAH Case No. 2026010399 · ALJ Peter Paul Castillo
OAH denied Student's motion to seal the decision or remove it from OAH's website, because the IDEA requires hearing decisions to be made public once personally identifiable information is removed.
This case went to decision
Student v. Cupertino Union School District: Cupertino Union prevails in expedited discipline case; student's exclusion from after-school program was not a disciplinary removal. (2026)
Summary
After OAH decided the expedited claims, Parent on behalf of Student moved to seal the decision, remove it from OAH's website, or limit its publication. District opposed the motion and Student filed a reply. OAH denied the motion. It explained that the IDEA requires all hearing decisions to be made available to the public after personally identifiable information is deleted, and that the decision in this case complies with the IDEA and other applicable laws.
Why it matters
Families should expect OAH to publish due process decisions with identifying information removed. A request to seal or keep a decision off the website is unlikely to succeed when the published decision already omits personally identifiable information.
Key authority cited
- 34 C.F.R. § 300.513(d)(2)
Topics
Full text of the order
Published text of the OAH order. Page headers and numbers from the original PDF have been dropped.
BEFORE THE
OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE MATTER OF:
PARENTS ON BEHALF OF STUDENT,
v.
CUPERTINO UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT.
OAH CASE NUMBER 2026010399
NOTICE OF NO ACTION
MARCH 4, 2026
On January 12, 2026, the Office of Administrative Hearings, called OAH, received a due process hearing request from Student naming Cupertino Union School District.
The complaint contained expedited and non-expedited hearing claims. OAH set the expedited and non-expedited matters for separate hearings. The expedited claims proceeded to hearing with no continuances. On March 4, 2026, OAH issued a final decision.
On February 20, 2026, Parent on behalf of Student filed a Motion to Seal/Request Removal From Website/Limit Publication. District filed an opposition on February 24, 2026 and Student a reply on February 25, 2026.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, known also as the IDEA, requires that all hearing decisions and related findings be made available to the public following deletion of any personally identifiable information. (34 C.F.R. § 300.513(d)(2).) Student’s motion cites a variety of other Federal and California law in support of the request. OAH complies with the provisions of the IDEA in the issuance and publication of its decisions, and the Decision issued in this matter complies with the IDEA and other applicable laws.
Accordingly, Student’s motion is denied.
Peter Paul Castillo Division Chief Administrative Law Judge Office of Administrative Hearings