Representative Matters

Employment matters

• Represented corporate mid-level manager in a Title VII litigation in regard to racial epithets used by co-workers at the workplace.

• Represented individuals working in retail establishments who made complaints of race and sexual harassment against their employers to the DC Office of Human Rights.

• Represented a public school teacher in a DC Office of Human Rights proceeding in a matter involving allegations of race and national origin discrimination and retaliation.

• Was co-counsel for plaintiff in a pending federal litigation in which a disabled employee alleged that the employer failed to engage in the interactive process to determine appropriate accommodations for the plaintiff’s disability.

Education Matters

• Filed concurrent complaints against District of Columbia Public Schools (“DCPS”) with the Department of Education Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”) and the DC Office of State Superintendent of Education (“OSSE”) on behalf of a student who was restrained and secluded at a non-public school in violation of District of Columbia law and the anti-discrimination provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The OCR complaint also alleged that the non-public school and DCPS retaliated against the parent for advocating for educational programming and related services for the student. After OCR investigated the matter, DCPS agreed to enter a resolution agreement with OCR which required the District to train its employees on Section 504 and ADA compliance in regard to the use of restraint and seclusion. OSSE concluded that the non-public school failed to comply with law in regard to the use of restraint and seclusion in non-emergency conditions and ordered the school to prepare and implement a corrective action plan in order to maintain its certificate of approval to educate DCPS children with disabilities.

• Represented children with dyslexia, intellectual disability, and specific learning disabilities whose behaviors – including classroom avoidance – were indicative of the school district’s failure to provide them appropriate educational programming and related services. Successfully advocated for changes in the students’ placements to non-public schools.

• Represented children attending one non-public school to persuade the school district to transfer the children to another non-public school when the children were not making adequate progress or the first non-public school was an inappropriate location for the provision of educational programming and related services under the children’s IEPs.

• Represented non-resident parents before OSSE and the D.C. Office of Attorney General in regard to allegations of residency fraud.

• Represented parents of elementary school student in a matter involving peer harassment and bullying on the basis of protected characteristics at school.

• Represented parents investigated by DC Child and Family Services Agency for allegedly physically abusing their baby.

• Was co-counsel for plaintiffs in a pending federal litigation regarding physical abuse of disabled students attending DC Public Schools.

• Collaborated with parents and a DC based non-profit to report DC Public Schools use of unqualified long term substitute teachers to provide instruction to autistic and intellectually disabled children in self-contained classrooms. The non-profit filed a state complaint with OSSE, which ordered DCPS to provide compensatory education to the affected students.
• Represent group of children on the autism spectrum in a negligence action arising out of physical abuse by a dedicated aide at school.
• Represent child in a negligence action arising from peer sexual harassment at school.
• Represented a public school teacher in a DC Office of Human Rights proceeding in a matter involving allegations of race and national origin discrimination and retaliation.

Special Needs Estate Plan Matters

• Represented the parent of an intellectually disabled elementary school child who received public benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid, by preparing an estate plan, including documents required to establish participation in a pooled special needs trust for the child.