A state administrative law judge has ruled that a student with cerebral palsy who investigators say was abused by his Hopewell Middle School teacher was denied a ?free and appropriate public education? by Fulton County Schools.
Judge Kimberly Schroer said Alex Williams, now 19, is entitled to a private education at the district?s expense for the next five years. That education will include training, therapy and a plan with goals?so he can learn to become more independent.
Schroer?said that Fulton Schools ?violated? the student?s educational rights, and Williams? parents ?do not want him to be placed in any other traditional school setting that might remind him of the past abuse.?
The ruling also?compels the district to reimburse Doug and Lisa Williams?for private services they used to?help their son after he left school.
?This is awesome,? Lisa Williams said?late Wednesday. ?I had no sense of how she was going to rule. Everything that we have dealt with, I didn?t know if anybody was ever going to do the right thing.?
Fulton Schools officials did not respond to a request for comment.
The family and their lawyer have said Alex?Williams was?hit, kicked and humiliated by?Hopewell Middle?special education teacher Melanie Pickens.?Witnesses at the school?say Pickens also?punished students, including Williams, by restraining them in a chair and leaving them in the dark. The principal at the time, Frances Boyd, now retired, failed to investigate the reports of abuse.
Chris?Vance, attorney for the Williamses, said the family will seek $10 million in a federal lawsuit.
via Judge: Fulton Schools owes special-needs student in abuse case a free education ?| ajc.com.
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