Christine Smith Olsey knew her son needed more academic support long before Denver educators referred to themselves as the experts. Despite constant bullying over speech difficulties and a growing self-esteem crisis, Smith Olsey claims her child’s charter school resisted her pleas for additional resources. Months later, a federal mediator abruptly postponed her case – a pattern repeated nationwide as disability rights investigations froze during Trump’s overhaul of the Education Department.
Disability rights protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandate schools to provide accommodations for disabled students. Historically, 37% of federal civil rights complaints relate to these violations.
If [the Office for Civil Rights] isn’t aggressively protecting these rights, it’s failing its mission,said Catherine Lhamon, former OCR head under Biden and Obama. Parents like Smith Olsey saw cases stall just days after Trump’s 2017 inauguration – including urgent situations impacting children’s immediate education.
The Education Department later resumed reviews after media scrutiny, but advocacy groups warn of systemic risks:
- Staffing cuts amid rising caseloads
- Proposals to transfer oversight to Health and Human Services
- Diverted focus toward culture war issues
Smith Olsey’s son – diagnosed with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and dyscalculia – finally secured compensatory services after a two-year battle. However, families like DarNisha Hardaway’s now face new roadblocks. Her autistic son was forced into online learning after an outburst linked to insufficient classroom accommodations. Special education advocates argue such decisions violate federal law.
Between 2021-2024, the OCR received 27,620 disability-related complaints. Despite this volume, last year marked the first time sex discrimination cases (many targeting transgender policies) outpaced disability issues. Racial bias complaints also languish, exemplified by Tylisa Guyton’s unresolved case involving her Black son’s escalating school suspensions.
With Trump’s proposed agency cuts and nominee Linda McMahon suggesting dismantling OCR’s role, advocates fear eroded protections. Educating disabled kids requires national commitment, warned Sen. Maggie Hassan during McMahon’s confirmation hearing. As families navigate paralyzed systems, the human cost grows clearer every day a child sits before a computer instead of a teacher.