Punitive Damages in Special Education

Abstract

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has been instrumental in ensuring that all qualified children with disabilities receive a free, appropriate public education. Successful pursuit of complaints regarding the provision of an appropriate education entitles parents to a wide range of remedies, such as the recovery of attorneys' fees, reimbursement for residential placements and related services, and compensatory education. Courts, however, have been reluctant to award punitive damages under IDEA and other legal principles (Sections 1983 and 504), although this is legally plausible. This possibility has been severely compromised by the latest Supreme Court case, Barnes v. Gorman (2002).

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References

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