A federal judge ruled D.C. schools in contempt of court Thursday for failing to provide full-scale special education courses for students with disabilities at the D.C. jail.
District Judge Carl J. Nichols said D.C. Public Schools has had “ample time” to comply with an injunction he issued in June requiring the classes.
“Every student currently enrolled in the program remains at an inexcusable educational deficit for this school year — a failure all the more baffling given that the Court entered its injunction months before the school year began,” Nichols wrote in his contempt order.
In April 2021, a group of about 40 incarcerated students at the D.C. Central Detention Facility filed a lawsuit accusing D.C. Public Schools of failing to provide classes and other services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The judge agreed and gave D.C. school leaders 15 days to arrange teacher-led group classes and one-on-one sessions delivered by videoconference or in person at the facility.
“It is beyond doubt, that Defendants have failed, and are continuing to fail to comply with the Preliminary Injunction,” Nichols said in his order.
With the judge’s ruling still in effect, D.C. Public Schools has until a March 15 deadline to complete it.
In a statement to WTOP, DCPS said is it reviewing the judge’s order and working with partners to chart their next steps.
“We value and are committed to fostering a learning environment that serves the educational experience of every student, including students who are incarcerated,” the statement said.
DCPS must submit individualized learning plans for each student to cover the hours of special education classes missed between September 2021 and January 2022.
The order provides an extension of services for students who may have aged out of the program since the first injunction was handed down eight months ago as well.
