On Thursday November 4, 2021, federal Judge Susan Illston, of the Northern District of California, ordered state officials to act immediately to provide distance learning that is comparable to last year for a group of students with disabilities.

The lawsuit of which this order is a part challenges the discriminatory effects of Assembly Bill 130, which limited state funding for distance learning during the 2021-2022 school year to Independent Study, a model which many students with disabilities could not access. Judge Illston found that “plaintiffs have demonstrated irreparable harm,” and “that AB130 has forced parents to choose between the harm of their children losing educational opportunity or risking their health and safety.”

This Temporary Restraining Order is part of a federal class action which seeks to reverse the discriminatory effects of AB 130 for all students with disabilities who have been harmed by the law. Vanaman German and our co-counsel will continue to aggressively pursue equitable access to education in a setting which is safe for students with disabilities.