Parents accuse Aledo ISD of discrimination against children with special needs

By Amelia Mugavero

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    TEXAS (KTVT) — Several parents are accusing the Aledo Independent School District of discriminating against their children with special needs. The allegations led to a Texas Education Agency investigation and ongoing legal battles.

Courtney Morey and Carol Karen, both mothers of daughters with Down syndrome, say the district denied their children proper access to services required under federal law.

“The worst horror story you could ever imagine about Special Ed happening to you,” mother Carol Caron told CBS News Texas. “It’s really painful to watch,” said Morey. “It’s been a tremendous amount of stress — the amount of time that it’s taken away from being with my kids.”

Concerns over IQ testing raised Morey said her 3-year-old daughter, Annie, was excluded from the district’s special education program after she declined an IQ test. Karen said her fifth-grade daughter, Ellie, has been placed in an overly restrictive setting that doesn’t meet her needs.

“And they’ve just kind of pushed her to the side and put her in this restrictive environment,” Caron said.

“The common thread is that our children have been discriminated against,” Morey said.

TEA report supports parent claims A TEA investigation released in July supported several of the parents’ claims. According to the report, which was based on staff allegations, Aledo ISD denied students with disabilities the evaluations and services required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

“Laws are being broken. We said that in March, and we were validated,” Morey said.

District says changes have been made In a statement, the district said it has since made corrections. That includes reviewing policies and practices, improving service tracking, offering additional student support, and providing staff training.

In response to Morey’s allegations about IQ testing and discrimination, Aledo ISD stated that a full evaluation was not only legal but required.

“IQ testing was both required and appropriate under the law,” the district said in a statement. “The district would have violated the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act if it had done what the parents wished and failed to complete the legally required full individual evaluation.”

The district also cited a federal court ruling that found Aledo ISD followed “well-established special education law in attempting to evaluate and serve the child.”

Experts question IQ test use However, experts say IQ tests are not always appropriate, especially for very young children with developmental disabilities.

“An IQ test is typically not developmentally appropriate for a child aged 3 diagnosed with Down syndrome,” said Dr. Karla Eidson, who specializes in IQ testing and educational diagnostics in Fort Worth.

When asked why, she added, “Because the test itself requires some developmental abilities that are likely not inherently in the Down syndrome child.”

Parents continue legal fight Morey and Karen continue to attend school board meetings and are now pursuing legal action. They say their fight is not just for Annie and Ellie — but for all children with disabilities in the district.

“If your own child has an issue with the school district, you could very much be in our shoes,” Morey said. “It might look different, but the problem is, is that parents are quieted. We’ve seen too much, and too many children’s lives are affected by this. So, it’s for Annie and it’s for Ellie, but it’s for all the children with the disability.”

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