Legal Notice of Ohio DOE Consent Order

On July 2, 2009, the Southern District of Ohio granted the parties’ Second Joint Motion for Preliminary Approval of Partial Class Action Settlement in the case of John Doe, et al., v. State of Ohio, et al., Case No. 2:91-cv-464 (Doe v. State of Ohio). The partial settlement, which is reflected in a Consent Order, concerns certain claims regarding the State of Ohio’s procedures for implementing the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Improvement Act of 2004) (IDEA). The Consent Order is attached, as is a notice describing the lawsuit, the proposed settlement and upcoming proceedings on this matter. Ohio students with disabilities and their parents or guardians have the ability to submit written comments or objections regarding the Consent Order. These comments or objections must be submitted by September 16, 2009 to:

Clerks of Courts
United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
Joseph P. Kinneary U.S. Courthouse
85 Marconi Blvd.
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Attn: Judge Holschuh’s Docket

The Court has scheduled a hearing at 10:00a.m on October 20, 2009 to determine whether the proposed partial settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate, and whether it should receive the court’s final approval.