Improper school suspension and IEP manifestation hearings: the 10-day rule, stay-put protections, and emergency advocacy¶

Receiving a phone call from a school principal or assistant principal demanding that you come pick up your child immediately because of a behavioral crisis, or opening a formal notice of a long-term suspension or expulsion hearing for a student with an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a Section 504 Plan, or an undiagnosed disability, is an urgent legal and educational emergency. Across public and charter schools, students with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), emotional disturbance, sensory processing differences, tourette syndrome, or trauma histories are disproportionately subjected to exclusionary discipline, including off-the-record "informal send-homes," repeated bus suspensions, and disciplinary removals triggered precisely because the school failed to implement the student legally binding behavioral accommodations.

Under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the UK Equality Act 2010 and SEND Code of Practice, and Canadian provincial human rights statutes, public schools cannot simply expel or repeatedly suspend a child for behavior that is caused by their disability or by the school failure to follow their IEP. By tracking every partial-day removal toward the statutory 10-School-Day Change of Placement threshold, preparing clinical and implementation evidence for the mandatory Manifestation Determination Review (MDR), invoking Expedited Due Process and Stay-Put protections, and asserting statutory protections for children not yet evaluated for special education, parents and caregivers can halt unlawful school pushout immediately.

Yenza lokhu manje¶

1. Make sure immediate physical and psychiatric safety during a school crisis. If your child is experiencing an acute psychiatric emergency, self-harm crisis, or physical injury from improper school restraint or seclusion, call your local emergency number (911 in the United States and Canada, 112 across the European Union, 999 in the United Kingdom, or see all izinombolo eziphuthumayo) or a pediatric mobile crisis team immediately.
2. Never pick up your child for an "informal send-home" without written suspension paperwork. When a school calls asking you to pick your child up early to "cool down" without logging an official suspension, demand an email from the principal stating that the school is ordering an administrative disciplinary removal; off-the-record early pickups are illegal attempts to bypass the 10-day federal special education protection clock.
3. Bala njalo ukumiswa kosuku olugcwele, oluyingxenye yosuku, esikoleni, kanye nebhasi ufinyelele emkhawulweni wezinsuku eziyi-10. Uma umfundi one-IEP noma 504 Plan esusiwe ekubekweni kwakhe njalo kwezemfundo isikhathi esingaphezu kwezinsuku eziyi-10 zilandelana zesikole, noma ngaphezulu kwezinsuku eziyi-10 zesikole ezihlanganisiwe onyakeni owodwa wokufunda akha "inkambo yomthetho yokushintsha", i-federal law of Digestion Ukubekwa** futhi kuvimbela ngokuphelele ukususwa ngaphandle kokulalelwa okusemthethweni.
4. Funa Ukubuyekezwa Okusemthethweni Kwezinqumo Zokubonakaliswa (MDR) zingakapheli izinsuku eziyi-10 zesikole. Ngaphambi kokuba noma yikuphi ukumiswa okungaphezu kwezinsuku eziyi-10 noma ukuxoshwa kuqale ukusebenza, ithimba le-IEP nabazali kufanele babize umhlangano we-MDR ukuze baphendule imibuzo emibili engokomthetho: (1) Ingabe ukuziphatha kwabangelwa, noma kwakunobudlelwane obuqondile nobubalulekile nokukhubazeka kwengane? kanye (2) Ingabe ukuziphatha kwaba umphumela oqondile wokwehluleka kwesikole ukusebenzisa i-IEP? Uma impendulo ku-noma yimuphi umbuzo ithi YEBO, isikole kufanele sibuyisele ingane esikoleni ngokushesha futhi sikuhoxise ukuxoshwa.
5. Faka isicelo esibhaliwe se-FERPA / Irekhodi Lezemfundo okungenani izinsuku ezingu-5 ngaphambi kwe-MDR. Ngokushesha thumela i-imeyili kuMqondisi Wezemfundo Eyisipesheli kanye Nothishomkhulu ucela wonke amalogi okuziphatha kothisha, idatha ye-Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA), amashidi okwethembeka e-Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP), amashejuli okusiza abasebenzi, izitatimende zofakazi ezivela ehholo lokulalela.
6. Invoke "Basis of Knowledge" protections immediately if your child does not have an IEP yet. Even if your child is currently in general education with no IEP or 504 Plan, you can halt an expulsion under 34 CFR 300.534 if a parent expressed concern in writing prior to the incident that the child needed special education, a teacher documented a pattern of behavioral concerns, or you submit an immediate written request for a full Special Education Evaluation during the suspension window.

Special education suspension and MDR legal decision tree¶

flowchart TD
    Start["School Issues Suspension, Expulsion Notice, or Informal Pickup Call"] --> HasIEP{"Does the student have an IEP or Section 504 Plan?"}

    HasIEP -->|"Cha"| BasisCheck{"Did parent/teacher previously raise disability concerns in writing?"}
    BasisCheck -->|"Yebo"| Invoke300534["Assert IDEA 'Basis of Knowledge' Protection (34 CFR 300.534)<br/>Demand immediate halt to expulsion & schedule MDR within 10 days<br/>Demand expedited psychoeducational evaluation"]
    BasisCheck -->|"Cha"| RequestEval["Submit Written Request for Expedited Special Education Evaluation Today<br/>Triggers mandatory expedited assessment during suspension"]

    HasIEP -->|"Yebo"| CountDays{"Will this removal push total days over 10 cumulative or consecutive days?"}

    CountDays -->|"No (Days 1 to 10)"| DocumentDays["Log Partial-Day, Bus, and In-School Removals in Writing<br/>Request IEP team meeting to conduct FBA or update BIP<br/>Refuse undocumented 'informal early pickups'"]
    CountDays -->|"Yes (Over 10 Days = Change of Placement)"| TriggerMDR["School MUST Convene Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) Within 10 School Days<br/>School must provide FAPE educational services starting on Day 11"]

    TriggerMDR --> MDRQuestions{"MDR Legal Test:<br/>Prong 1: Directly & substantially related to disability?<br/>OR Prong 2: Direct result of school failing to implement IEP?"}

    MDRQuestions -->|"YES to Prong 1 OR Prong 2"| IsManifestation["Conduct IS a Manifestation of the Disability<br/>1. School MUST return student to original placement immediately<br/>2. Expulsion/long-term suspension is legally barred<br/>3. School must conduct FBA, create/revise BIP, and fix IEP defects"]
    MDRQuestions -->|"NO to Both (And No 45-Day IAES Exception)"| FileAppeal["Parent Refuses to Sign Agreement & Files Expedited Due Process Appeal<br/>Request Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) at public expense<br/>Hearing must occur within 20 school days (decision within 10 days)"]

Phase 1: Halting "informal removals" and counting the 10-School-Day clock¶

Under federal special education regulations (34 CFR 300.530 through 300.536 under IDEA, and parallel protections under Section 504 enforced by the Office for Civil Rights), a school district may suspend a student with a disability for up to 10 school days in a school year to the same extent it suspends students without disabilities. However, the moment a removal exceeds 10 consecutive school days, or exceeds 10 cumulative school days that constitute a pattern of removals, it legally becomes a Disciplinary Change of Placement, triggering strict federal procedural safeguards.

What legally counts as a "Day of Removal" toward the 10-day ceiling¶

Because school administrators know that hitting Day 11 triggers mandatory special education services and a formal MDR hearing, many schools attempt to keep removals "off the books." Under formal guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), all of the following count toward the 10-day clock:

Isifanekiso se-imeyili sokumisa "izindlu zokuthumela ezingekho emthethweni" ngokushesha¶

Noma nini lapho isikole sikushayela ucingo sikucela ukuthi ulande ingane yakho kusenesikhathi ngaphandle kwamaphepha asemthethweni amisiwe, thumela le imeyili ngqo Kuthishomkhulu, Umsizi Kathishanhloko, Umphathi Wecala, kanye noMqondisi Wezemfundo Ekhethekile Wesifunda ngaphambi noma ngokushesha ngemva kokulanda ingane yakho:

Subject: Documentation of Administrative Behavioral Removal, [Student Name, DOB]
"Today at [Time], [Staff Member Name] telephoned me and directed me to pick [Student Name] up early from school due to behaviors related to [his/her] disability, stating it would not be recorded as a formal suspension. Please be advised that under U.S. Department of Education OSERS guidance and 34 CFR 300.530, any administrative request to remove a student with an IEP/504 Plan for part or all of a school day due to behavior constitutes a disciplinary removal. Please record today removal of [X hours] on [Student Name] official disciplinary log toward the 10-cumulative-day Change of Placement threshold, provide Prior Written Notice (PWN), and convene an IEP meeting to review the Behavior Intervention Plan."

Once principals realize that every phone call is being logged on a formal paper trail copied to the district Special Education Director, off-the-record "come get your kid" phone calls almost always stop overnight.

Phase 2: Winning the Manifestation Determination Review (MDR)¶

When a school proposes to suspend a student with an IEP or 504 Plan for more than 10 consecutive days, expel the student, or impose a suspension that pushes the student past 10 cumulative days in a pattern of removals, the school must hold a Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) within 10 school days of the decision to change the placement.

The two-prong statutory legal standard (20 U.S.C. 1415(k)(1)(E))¶

At the MDR meeting, the school district representative, the parent, and relevant members of the IEP team must review all relevant information in the student file, including the IEP, teacher observations, and any clinical or diagnostic information provided by the parents, to answer two specific legal questions:

1. Prong 1 (Clinical / Disability Causation): "Was the conduct in question caused by, or did it have a direct and substantial relationship to, the child disability?"
2. Importantly: You are not limited to the single primary eligibility box checked on the cover page of the IEP (for example, "Specific Learning Disability" or "Speech or Language Impairment"). If your child has an IEP under "Other Health Impairment" or "Learning Disability" and also has a clinical diagnosis of ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, PTSD, or Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), the MDR team must evaluate the relationship between the conduct and all aspects of the child disability profile.
3. Prong 2 (School IEP Implementation Failure): "Was the conduct in question the direct result of the Local Educational Agency (LEA) failure to implement the IEP?"
4. This is the most powerful, objective weapon a parent has in an MDR hearing. You do not even need to argue psychology under Prong 2; you only need to show that the school broke its own written contract on the day of the incident.

How to prove Prong 2 (School Failure to Implement the IEP / BIP)¶

Before the MDR meeting, read every single line of your child current IEP and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP), specifically looking at the Supplementary Aids and Services, Program Modifications, and De-escalation Protocols. Compare what is written in the IEP against what actually happened in the 60 minutes leading up to the behavioral incident:

• Did the IEP require a 1-on-1 paraprofessional aide or inclusion support? Was the aide absent that day, at lunch, or pulled to cover another classroom when the incident happened?
• Did the IEP or BIP require proactive sensory breaks, movement breaks, or access to a "cool-down pass" / quiet corner when agitated? Did the teacher or substitute teacher deny the student request to take a sensory break or block the doorway when the child tried to step out to self-regulate?
• Did the BIP prohibit public verbal confrontation, yelling, or physical cornering? Did an assistant principal or untrained security guard grab the student arm, shout in their face in front of peers, or escalate a minor refusal into a fight-or-flight sensory meltdown?
• Did the IEP require modified assignments, visual schedules, or extended time? Did a teacher hand the student an unmodified exam or trigger task-frustration by refusing an accommodation?

If the school failed to deliver any material accommodation or de-escalation step required by the IEP/BIP right before the behavior occurred, Prong 2 is met.

How to prove Prong 1 (Direct and Substantial Relationship to Disability)¶

Do not rely solely on your own testimony at the MDR table:

1. Obtain an emergency letter from your child treating psychiatrist, developmental pediatrician, neuropsychologist, or therapist: Ask your clinician to write a targeted, one-page letter on medical letterhead specifically quoting the federal statutory phrase. The letter should explain the neurological mechanism connecting the diagnosis to the specific behavior (for example: "In my clinical opinion, [Student] behavior on [Date], specifically throwing classroom materials and eloping when cornered, was caused by and had a direct and substantial relationship to his Autism Spectrum Disorder and severe ADHD, which impair prefrontal executive inhibition and trigger an involuntary autonomic fight-or-flight response during sensory overload").
2. Show historical continuity across the IEP: Open your child past Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) and IEP Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP). If the IEP itself already describes the student as struggling with "emotional regulation, verbal outbursts when frustrated, impulsivity, or peer conflict," point to that text on the table: "Your own IEP document identifies this exact behavior as a manifestation of his disability that the school was supposed to be remediating."

What happens legally when the MDR is "YES"¶

If the MDR team answers YES to either Prong 1 or Prong 2:

1. Immediate return to school: The school must immediately return the child to the placement from which they were removed (unless the parent and school both voluntarily agree to change placement as part of modifying the behavioral plan, or unless the narrow 45-day Special Circumstances rule applies).
2. Expulsion and long-term suspension are canceled: The disciplinary proceeding terminates immediately.
3. Mandatory FBA and BIP: If the student did not already have a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP), the school must immediately conduct an FBA and implement a BIP. If the student already had a BIP, the team must review and modify it to address the behavior, and if Prong 2 (failure to implement) was found, the school must take immediate steps to remedy those implementation deficiencies.

Phase 3: The 45-Day "Special Circumstances" Exception (Weapons, Drugs, Serious Bodily Injury)¶

There is only one narrow statutory exception under federal law (34 CFR 300.530(g)) where a school can remove a student to an Interim Alternative Educational Setting (IAES) for up to 45 school days even if the behavior was a manifestation of their disability:

1. Dangerous Weapons: The student carries a weapon to school or possesses a weapon at school, on school premises, or at a school function.
2. Incazelo Ebalulekile Engokomthetho: Ngaphansi kwe-IDEA, "isikhali" sichazwa ngokuqinile 18 U.S.C. 930(g)(2) njengedivayisi, ithuluzi, into, noma into esetshenziselwa, noma ekwazi kalula, ukubangela ukufa noma ukulimala okubi kakhulu komzimba, ngaphandle kokuthi lelo gama ALIBALI ummese osephaketheni oneblade engaphansi kwamayintshi angu-2.5 (6.35 amasentimitha) ubude. Izikole ngokuvamile zizama ukusebenzisa isimiso sezinsuku ezingu-45 semimese yebhotela lepulasitiki, izikele, amapensela, noma imimese emincane yezempi yase-Swiss, okungekho kuyo ehlangabezana nencazelo yomthetho yenhlangano yesikhali esiyingozi.
3. Izidakamizwa Ezingekho Emthethweni Noma Izidakamizwa Ezilawulwayo: Umfundi uphatha noma usebenzisa izidakamizwa ezingekho emthethweni ngamabomu, noma uthengisa noma ucela ukuthengiswa kwezinto ezilawulwayo, ngesikhathi esesikoleni. (Akusebenzi entweni elawulwayo okunomthetho futhi esetshenziswa ngaphansi kokugadwa uchwepheshe wezempilo onelayisensi, njengemithi enqunyiwe ye-ADHD).
4. I-Serious Bodyly Injury (SBI): Umfundi ulimaze omunye umuntu "okubi emzimbeni" ngesikhathi esesikoleni.
5. Incazelo Ebalulekile Engokomthetho: Abaphathi besikole bavame ukuzama ukubiza "Serious Body Injury" noma nini lapho ingane engalawuleki ikhahlela uthisha, iluma ingalo, noma ishiya inxeba noma ukuklwebheka. Ngaphansi 18 U.S.C. 1365(h)(3) (etholwe ngokuqondile ku-IDEA), I-Serious Bodily Injury inomkhawulo wobugebengu obuhlangene obuphakeme ngokungavamile: idinga ukulimala komzimba okubandakanya (A) ingozi enkulu yokufa; (B) ubuhlungu obukhulu ngokomzimba; (C) ukonakala okuthathe isikhathi eside nokusobala; noma (D) ukulahlekelwa isikhathi eside noma ukonakala komsebenzi welungu lomzimba, isitho, noma amandla engqondo (njengokopha kobuchopho okubuhlungu, ukulahlekelwa ukusebenza kwesitho, noma ukuphuka kanzima okudinga ukulaliswa esibhedlela). Imihuzuko, imihuzuko, ukulunywa, noma ukucindezeleka ngokomzwelo akulokothi kufane ngokusemthethweni Njengokulimala Okubi Komzimba ngaphansi kwe-IDEA, futhi Amajaji Omthetho Wokuphatha achitha ngokuvamile ukukhishwa kwesikole kwezinsuku ezingu-45 okusebenzisa kabi lesi sigaba somthetho.

Isigaba sesi-4: Okufanele ukwenze uma isikole sihlanganisa i-MDR ("CHA"), Inqubo Yemfanelo Esheshisiwe kanye ne-Stay-Put¶

Ngenxa yokuthi i-MDR ayidingi ivoti elivumelanayo uma omele isifunda sesikole edlula ukuphikisa kwabazali, abaphathi besikole abanonya ngezinye izikhathi bagxiviza isitembu senjoloba esithi "CHA" kuzo zombili izinhlangothi ukuze baphushele ukuxoshwa noma ukudluliselwa kwesinye isikole.

Indlela yokukhalaza nge-MDR engafanele futhi ugcine ingane yakho esikoleni¶

1. Unqabile ukusayina okuthi "Ngiyavuma" efomini lesinqumo se-MDR: Sayina kuphela ukwazisa ukuba khona kwakho ngokomzimba emhlanganweni, futhi ubhale ngokucacile ngaphezu kwesiginesha yakho: "Angivumelani nokuzimisela kwethimba. Ukuziphatha kwakuhlobene ngokuqondile nokukhubazeka kwengane yami kanye nomphumela oqondile wokwehluleka kwesifunda ukusebenzisa i-IEP."
2. Funa Ukuhlola Okuzimele Kwezemfundo (IEE) ngezindleko zomphakathi: Yisho kwirekhodi ukuthi awuvumelani nokuhlolwa kwesifunda sokuziphatha nengqondo kwengane yakho bese ucela ngokusemthethweni Ukuhlola Okuzimele Kwezemfundo (IEE) (okuhlanganisa nokuhlola okuzimele kwe-FBA/neuropsychology) okuxhaswe yisifunda sesikole ngaphansi kwe-CFR50**030.
3. Faka Isicelo Esisheshisiwe Sokulalelwa Kwenqubo Efunekayo ngokushesha: Ngaphansi kwe-34 CFR 300.532, umzali ongavumelani nokunqunywa kwe-MDR noma yiluphi ushintsho lokuqondisa izigwegwe unelungelo lokufayela Ukulalelwa Kwenqubo Efanele Okusheshisiwe:
4. Isifunda sesikole kufanele sibambe Umhlangano Wesinqumo Zingakapheli izinsuku eziyi-7 zekhalenda sithole isaziso.
5. Ngaphandle kwalapho kuxazululwe zingakapheli izinsuku eziyi-15 zekhalenda, Ukulalelwa Kwenqubo Esheshisiwe Kufanele kwenzeke zingakapheli izinsuku ezingu-20 zesikole kusukela ngosuku okufakwe ngalo isikhalazo, futhi ijaji lomthetho wokuphatha kufanele likhiphe isinqumo esibhaliwe esiyisibopho zingakapheli izinsuku eziyi-10 zesikole ngemva kokulalelwa.
6. ** Qonda imithetho "Yokuhlala Ubeke" kanye nezibopho ze-FAPE zosuku-11**:
7. Phakathi nezingxabano ezijwayelekile ze-IEP ezingaqondisisi izigwegwe, ukufaka i-Due Process kumisa ngokuzenzakalela ingane ekilasini layo lamanje ("Stay-Put" ngaphansi kokungu-34 CFR 300.518).
8. Ngaphansi kokungu-34 CFR 300.533, ngesikhathi sesikhalazo sokuqondiswa kwezigwegwe esisheshisiwe (lapho isikole sithole ukuthi "Akukho Ukubonakaliswa" noma sasebenzisa umthetho wezinsuku ezingama-45), ingane ihlala Kusethingi Yesikhashana Yezemfundo Ehlukile (i-IAES) kuphela kuze kube yilapho isikhulu esilalelayo sikhipha isinqumo saso (ingqikithi yezinsuku zesikole ezingama-30) noma isikhathi sokuqondiswa kwezigwegwe kuqala, noma ngabe yisiphi isikhathi sokuqondisa izigwegwe nomzali.
9. Izinkonzo Zosuku Oluyisibopho-11 I-FAPE: Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi i-MDR ibingu-"Yebo" noma "Cha," kusukela ngosuku lwe-11 lokuqongelela lwesikole lokususwa* onyakeni wesikole, isifunda sesikole sinqatshelwe ngokomthetho ukushiya umfundi wemfundo ekhethekile ehlezi ekhaya engafundile. Ngaphansi kuka-*34 CFR 300.530(d)**, isikole kufanele sihlinzeke ngezinsizakalo ezigcwele Zamahhala Zemfundo Yomphakathi (FAPE) ezivumela ingane ukuthi iqhubeke nokubamba iqhaza kuhlelo lwezifundo zemfundo jikelele kanye nokuthuthukela ekufinyeleleni yonke imigomo ebekwe ku-IEP yengane. Ukumane ushiye iphakethe lamakhasi okusebenza ehhovisi elingaphambili akukho emthethweni; ukwehluleka ukunikeza imfundo ekhethekile bukhoma kanye nezinkonzo ezihlobene kusukela ngoSuku 11 kunikeza umfundi ilungelo lokuklomelisa Imfundo Eyisinxephezelo.

Isigaba sesi-5: Ukuvikela izingane ezingakabi nayo i-IEP (34 CFR 300.534)¶

Izinkulungwane zabafundi abane-Autism engaxilongwa, i-ADHD, i-Dyslexia, noma i-Emotional Disturbance batholwa ngezaziso zokuxoshwa ngaphambi kokuba isikole sibahlolele i-IEP. Umthetho wezwe wawusilindele ngokusobala lesi simo ngaphansi kwe-34 CFR 300.534 ("Ukuvikelwa kwezingane okunganqunyelwe ukuthi zifanelekele imfundo ekhethekile namasevisi ahlobene").

A general-education student facing suspension or expulsion can immediately assert all full IDEA protections (including halting the expulsion for an MDR) if the school district had a "Basis of Knowledge" that the child was a child with a disability before the behavioral incident occurred. Under federal law, the school is deemed to have a Basis of Knowledge if any one of these three things occurred prior to the behavior:

1. Parent Expressed Concern in Writing: The parent of the child expressed concern in writing (even a brief email or parent-teacher conference note saying "I am worried about his impulsivity/focus/meltdowns and wonder if he needs testing or support") to supervisory or administrative personnel of the school, or to a teacher of the child, that the child is in need of special education and related services; OR
2. Parent Requested an Evaluation: The parent of the child requested a special education evaluation of the child; OR
3. School Staff Expressed Specific Concerns: The child teacher, or other personnel of the school, expressed specific concerns about a pattern of behavior demonstrated by the child directly to the director of special education or to other supervisory personnel of the agency (such as disciplinary referrals, counselor notes, or MTSS / RTI tier-intervention emails).

Phase 6: Stopping illegal restraint, seclusion, and School Resource Officer (SRO) arrests¶

When a student with a disability experiences a sensory or behavioral crisis, untrained staff sometimes respond with prone physical floor restraints, locking the child alone in a padded "scream room" or closet, or calling a campus police officer (School Resource Officer) to handcuff or issue a juvenile criminal citation to a 9-year-old child.

1. Physical Restraint and Seclusion Violations:
2. Perform an immediate body check of your child when picking them up after any behavioral crisis, photographing any wrist bruises, carpet burns, petechiae, or ligature marks in bright light and taking the child to their pediatrician or urgent care that same day to document injuries in a medical chart.
3. Most states strictly prohibit prone restraint (holding a child face-down on the floor, which causes positional asphyxiation), mechanical restraint, chemical restraint, and locked seclusion, permitting physical intervention only when there is an imminent threat of serious physical harm to self or others, never for property destruction, non-compliance, or refusing to enter a room.
4. Demand the mandatory written Restraint and Seclusion Incident Report (which most states require schools to deliver to parents within 24 hours) and file a State Department of Education Compliance Complaint and an Office for Civil Rights (OCR) disability discrimination complaint.
5. School Resource Officer (SRO) / Juvenile Referral Defense:
6. If a school files a juvenile delinquency complaint or issues a disorderly conduct ticket for disability-related school behavior, immediately notify the juvenile court prosecutor and intake probation officer in writing that the child is a student with an individualized disability under IDEA/Section 504 whose behavior occurred during an unaccommodated school crisis, and attach the IEP and medical documentation.

Imibuzo ejwayelekile ukubuzwa¶

Iziqondiso ezihlobene¶

• Disabilities and medical needs emergency planning
• Student bullying, hazing, and cyberbullying
• Academic integrity and cheating accusations
• School lockdown and active threats
• Talking to kids in emergencies
• Emergency numbers and international dispatch

Imithombo ihloliwe¶

• Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) (United States): Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Statute (20 U.S.C. 1415(k)), Federal Regulations (34 CFR 300.530 through 300.536), and July 2022 Questions and Answers: Addressing the Needs of Children with Disabilities and IDEA's Discipline Provisions.
• Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) (United States): Supporting Students with Disabilities and Avoiding the Discriminatory Use of Student Discipline under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
• Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR) and National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) (United States): Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) Advocacy Guidelines and Restraint/Seclusion Reporting Standards.
• Department for Education (DfE) (United Kingdom): Suspension and Permanent Exclusion from Maintained Schools, Academies and Pupil Referral Units in England (Statutory Guidance for Pupils with SEND and EHCPs) and Equality Act 2010 Reasonable Adjustments.
• Provincial Ministries of Education and Human Rights Commissions (Canada): Special Education Tribunal Procedures, Duty to Accommodate to the Point of Undue Hardship, and Exclusionary Discipline Appeals.