Dept. of Education investigating Manor ISD special education complaint

MANOR, Texas (KXAN) —The Department of Education is investigating Manor Independent School District's special education department following a complaint of discrimination against a student.

"I filed a federal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's office of Civil Rights and we additionally have state complaints that are en route," said Karen Cunningham, a special education advocate.

Cunningham spoke to a group of parents and special education (SPED) teachers who showed up outside Manor ISD's administration building Friday.

"The federal government has opened a complaint against this district," Cunningham said.

The complaint alleges discrimination against a student on the basis of disability.

It goes on to say "The Recipient failed to implement the Student's individualized education program" and "The Recipient failed to provide a certified special education (SPED) teacher to implement the Student's accommodation plan and provide SPED service minutes".

"He was supposed to be receiving nearly an hour of special education and related service in a resource classroom. That is a small classroom with a certified educator," said Stephanie Rodriguez-Barnett, a parent and current Manor ISD school board member.

Rodriguez-Barnett told KXAN she contacted Cunningham to help spread awareness about the issues, after she said her son was not receiving the proper attention.

"For him it was like no education happened," Rodriguez-Barnett said. "It was like him being in a general education class and just sitting there."

KXAN reached out to Manor ISD to talk about the complaint and the issues raised. The district sent over this statement:

"At Manor ISD, we are deeply committed to providing a high-quality education for all of our students, including those with special needs. While we are unable to comment on specific cases or investigations due to confidentiality laws, we can assure our community that we strictly adhere to all state and federal guidelines concerning special education services.

Our team works diligently alongside parents, educators, and specialists to ensure each student receives the individualized support they need to thrive, and whenever we see room for improvement we work with parents and guardians to make adjustments. We take this responsibility seriously and remain focused on fostering an inclusive environment for all students."

-Manor ISD Superintendent, Dr. Robert Sormani

"My hope for that is we can get back to the table with the district and they can come up with a robust plan for him (son) to receive compensatory services," Rodriguez-Barnett said.