Disability Law Commons^™

For Whom The School Bell Tolls But Not The Statute Of Limitations: Minors And The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Lynn M. Daggett, Perry A. Zirkel, Leeann L. Gurysh

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

This Article explores whether claims under the federal special education statute should be tolled on account of minority. Adult disabled students typically assert this type of tolling claim when alleging statutory violations dating back ten or more years, when they were minors. However this tolling claim is decided, there may be undesired results. First, even if the student has a very strong case, the merits are never reached if the court dismisses the hearing request as untimely. Second, if the hearing request is timely and the case proceeds to the merits, the student must remain in her current educational placement, …