Disability Law Commons^™

Through The Looking Glass: Judicial Deference To Academic Decision-Making, Douglas K. Rush

Richmond Journal of Law and the Public Interest

This paper will review the statutory mandates of Section 504 and the ADA and examine the extent to which courts are willing to defer to institutional decisions concerning program modifications to accommodate learning disabled students. Courts have long recognized that academic decision-makers are entitled to deference, especially when their decisions concern issues related to educational programs. Courts must be vigilant, however, to properly weigh their role as the enforcers of Congressional legislation against the judicial policy of deference to academic decisions. Section I of this article will review the federal statutory and regulatory frameworks governing disability accommodations as they relate …