The Law of Disability Discrimination
in Higher Education,
Year in Review:
Decisions, Settlements, Regulations & Guidance
Paul D. Grossman, J.D.1
Jo Anne Simon, J.D. 2
Definition of Disability
Higher education
Rawdin v. American Board or Pediatrics, No. 12–6781, 2013WL 5948074 (E.D.
Pa. Nov. 6, 2013), on appeal, Civ. A. 12-6781 (4th Cir.).
Standardized testing
DOJ NPRM: DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Office of the Attorney General, 28
CFR Parts 35 and 36, CRT Docket No. 124; AG Order No., RIN 1190–AA59,
proposed application of ADAA to individuals with learning disabilities and
AD/HD under Titles II & III. Dept. of Justice, Amendment of Americans with
Disabilities Act Title II and Title III Regulations to Implement ADA Amendments
Act of 2008 (Jan. 22, 2014), available at http://www.ada.gov/ nprm_adaaa/
nprm_adaaa.htm
1
Adjunct Professor of Disability Law, Hastings College of Law, University of California. Member
AHEAD Board of Directors; CHADD Public Policy Committee; and, Disability Rights Advocates
Advisory Board. Co-author with Distinguished University Professor, Ruth Colker, Moritz School
of Law, The Ohio State University, The Law of Disability Discrimination, Eighth Edition, LexisNexis (2014)[ISBN:978-0-7698-8201-7].
2
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Fordham University School of Law. Member Professional
Advisory Board, Learning Disabilities Association of America. President, Everyone Reading. A
founding member of AHEAD. Lead counsel for the plaintiff in Bartlett v. New York State Board
of Law Examiners.
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Employment
Summers v. Altarum Institute, Corp., 740 F.3d 325 (4th Cir. 2014).
Demeo v. Vanguard Group, Inc., No. 13–122, 2014 WL 272030 (E.D. Pa. Jan. 24,
2014).
Gogos v. AMS Mechanical Systems, Inc., 737 F.3d 1170 (7th Cir. 2013).
Digital Access
Higher education
Complaint, Dudley v. Miami University (S.D. Ohio 2014) (1:14-CV-00038). ).
See https://nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/miami%20teach.pdf (last viewed on
May 22, 2014).
Authors Guild, Inc. v. HathiTrust, __F.3d__, 2014 WL 2576342, NO. 12-4547CV (2nd Cir., 2014).
See also Authors Guild, Inc. v. Google, Inc., 954 F. Supp. 2d 282 (S.D. N.Y.
2013). Alternate media qualifies for fair use exception.
Resolution Agreement, Among the University Montana – the US Department of
Education, Office for Civil Rights, DOJ DJ Number 169-44-9, OCR Case No.
10126001 (March 2014. Available at https://nfb.org/images/ nfb/documents/
pdf/agreement_university_of_montana_march_10_2014.pdf
See also U.S. Dept. of Justice, Technical Assistance: ADA Requirements Effective Communication (January 2014), available at http://www.ada.gov/
effective-comm.htm.
Title III – public accommodations
National Federal of the Blind and the United States of America v. HRB Digital
LLC and HRB TAX GROUP, INC., Civil Action NO. 1:13-cv-10799-GAO (D.
Mass. Mar. 25, 2014), available at http://www.ada.gov/hrb-cd.htm.
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David New v. Lucky Brand Dungarees Stores, No. 14-CV-20574 (S.D. Fla.
Apr.10, 2014), available at http://www.ada.gov/ briefs/lucky_brand_soi.pdf
Individuals with Sensory Impairments
Higher education
Argenyi v. Creighton University, No. 8:09CV341, 2014 WL 1838980 (D. Neb.
May 8, 2014). Creighton has filed a notice of appeal in the Eighth Circuit,
focusing on the question of undue burden. Available at http://www.sfgate.com/
news/article/Creighton-appeals-order-favoring-deaf-student-5536365.php
Palmer College of Chiropractic v. Davenport Civil Rights Commission and
Aaron Cannon, No. 12-0924 (S.Ct. of Iowa June 27, 2014).
Complaint, Dudley v. Miami University (S.D. Ohio 2014) (1:14-CV-00038). ).
See https://nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/miami%20teach.pdf (last viewed on
May 22, 2014).
U.S. Dept. of Justice, Technical Assistance: ADA Requirements - Effective
Communication (January 2014), available at http://www.ada.gov/ effectivecomm.htm. Titles II and III guidance for individuals with “communications
disabilities.”
Title III – public accommodations
GLAD, Inc. v. CNN, Inc., 742 F.3d 414 (9th Cir. 2014
Admissions
Sjostrand v. The Ohio State University, No. 13–3449, 2014 WL 1663076 (6th Cir.
2014).
See below Settlement between the United States and Gwinnett College (April
2014), available at http://www.ada.gov/gwinnett-col-sa.htm.
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Reasonable Modifications and Adjustments
Higher education
Law School Admission Council, Inc. v. State of California, 223 Cal. App. 4th
967 (2014).
Consent Decree, Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) and
the United States v. LSAC, No. CV 12-1830-EMC (N.D. Cal. May 20, 2014),
available at http://www.ada.gov/defh_v_lsac/lsac_consentdecree.htm
See also Press Release, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Law School Admission Council
Agrees to Systemic Reforms and $7.73 Million Payment to Settle Justice
Department’s Nationwide Disability Discrimination Lawsuit (May 20, 2014),
available at http://www.justice.gov/ opa/pr/2014/May/14-crt-536.html.
Rhodes v. Southern Nazarene University, 554 Fed.Appx. 685 (10th Cir. 2014).
Johnson v. Washington County Career Center, 470 Fed. Appx. 433 (S.D. Ohio
2013).
Weiss v. Rutgers University, unpublished, 2014 WL 2608201 (D.N.J. 2014).
See also Grabin v. Marymount Manhattan College, No. 12 Civ. 3591 (KPF),
2014 WL 2592416, (S.D.N.Y. 2014).
Settlement between the United States and Gwinnett College (Apr. 25, 2014),
available at http://www.ada.gov/gwinnett-col-sa.htm.
Nutritional accommodation
Subsequent to the 2012 DOJ Settlement with Lesley University, available at
http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/ 75920121220161432503826.pdf the
Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) organization issued guidance on
individuals with food allergies in college: Managing Food Allergies at College
(2014), http://www.foodallergy.org/ managing-food-allergies/at-college.
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Employment
EEOC v. Ford Motor Co., No. 12–2484, 2014 WL 1584674 (6th Cir. 2014).
http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/ opinions.pdf/14a0082p-06.pdf
Feist v. Louisiana, Department of Justice, 730 F.3d 450 (5th Cir. 2013).
Students with Psychological Disabilities
Complaint, W.P. v. Princeton University, (D. N.J. Mar. 25, 2014) (CIVIL
DOCKET #: 3:14−cv−01893−JAP−TJB). Available at http://online.wsj.com
/public/ resources/ documents/ princetonsuit.pdf
Program Access
Voting
Disabled in Action v. Board of Elections in the City of New York, No. 12–4412–
cv, 2014 WL 1910361 (2nd Cir. May 14, 2014).
Emergency Planning
Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled v. Bloomberg, No. 11 Civ.
6690(JMF), 2013 WL 5943995 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 7, 2013).
See also Communities Actively Living Independent and Free v. City of Los
Angeles, No. CV 09-0287 CBM (RZx) (C.D. Cal. Feb. 10, 2011), available at
http://www.dralegal.org/sites/dralegal.org/files/casefiles/order_0.pdf and http://
www.dralegal.org/sites/dralegal.org/files/casefiles/settlementagreement_6.pdf .
See also National Council on Disability (NCD), Report on Effective
Communication for People with Disabilities Before, During, and After
Emergencies
(May
2014),
available
at
http://www.ncd.gov/
publications/2014/05272014/.
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See also U.S. Dept. of Justice, Emergency Management Under Title II of the
ADA in ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments (2007),
available at http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/ chap7emergencymgmt.htm.
Right of way
Cohen v. City of Culver City, No. 13–55079, WL 2535329 (9th Cir. June 6, 2014).
Transit
Press Release, Disability Rights Advocates, Accessible taxi service for New
York City, available at http://www.dralegal.org/pressroom/press-releases/
historic-rule-passed-nyc-taxicab-accessibility-to-dramatically-increase;
http://www.dralegal.org/pressroom/press-releases/nyc-and-disability-advocatesannounce-landmark-settlement-to-dramatically;
http://www.dralegal.org/pressroom/press-releases/historic-rule-passed-nyc-taxicabaccessibility-to-dramatically-increase; and,
http://www.dralegal.org/pressroom/press-releases/national-federation-of-the-blindand-four-blind-people-file-suit-against
See below Settlement Agreement between the United States and Altagracia
Roumou, DJ No. 202-90-32 (May 15, 2014), available at http://www.ada.gov/
roumou-taxi-sa.htm.
Service Animals
Settlement Agreement between Leland and Fair Housing Council of Oregon v.
Portland State University, 3:12-cv-00911-SI (D.C. Or. Feb. 13, 2014).
Hurley v. Loma Linda Medical Center, No. CV12–5688 DSF (OPx), 2014 WL
580202 (C.D. Cal. Feb. 12, 2014).
Tamara v. El Camino Hospital, 964 F.Supp.2d 1077 (N.D. Cal. 2013).
See also Settlement Agreement between the United States and Altagracia
Roumou, DJ No. 202-90-32 (May 15, 2014), available at http://www.ada.gov/
roumou-taxi-sa.htm.
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Retaliation
Higher education
Fairchild v. Quinnipiac University, No. 3:13cv1877 (SRU), 2014 WL 1612499
(D. Conn. Apr. 22, 2014). See also Johnson v. Washington County Career
Center, 470 Fed. Appx. 433 (S.D. Ohio 2013).
See also Sillman v. Utica College, unreported, 2014 WL 1933190 (N.D.N.Y.
2014).
Employment
Demeo v. Vanguard Group, Inc., No. 13–122, 2014 WL 272030 (E.D. Pa. Jan. 24,
2014).
Elementary & Secondary Education Cases
Impacting Post-Secondary Education
K.M. v. Tustin, USD, No. SACV 10–1011 DOC (MLGx), 2011 WL 2633673
(C.D. Cal. July, 5, 2011); D.H. ex rel. Harrington v. Poway Unified School Dist.,
Civil No. 09–cv–2621–L (NLS), 2013 WL 6730163, (S.D. Cal. Dec. 19, 2013,
rev’d in part 725 F.3d 1088 (9th Cir. 2013), and cert. denied 134 S.Ct. 1493
(2014); Poway Unified School Dist. v. D. H. ex rel. K. H., cert. denied 134 S.Ct.
1494 (2014).
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