Parents using IEPs to excuse severe student behavior
Parents sometimes argue that an IEP or diagnoses like ADHD and fetal alcohol syndrome mean a student cannot be held accountable for severe actions, including physical attacks or sexual assault. This makes it hard for teachers to enforce consequences during manifestation meetings, especially when district offices push back against stating the child acted on their own accord outside of the disability.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Pressing criminal charges with law enforcement to create a legal paper trail outside of the school district's control.Did this help you?
- 2Holding manifestation meetings to formally document that the student's behavioral infractions were not a manifestation of their disability.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I was in a meeting with a special Ed student one time who was accused of touching a female student between her legs on the school bus. Sexual assault and it was recorded. Well we are in the meeting and the mom is arguing with the district he has an IEP and can’t be held accountable for his actions.”source ↗
“I had a family who believed that fetal alcohol syndrome meant the child was unable to take accountability for their actions and shouldn’t be held accountable. Well the student punched me so hard in the face over a loosing a game of go fish and attempted to choke me with my lanyard.”source ↗
“It is especially hard during the 4th manifestation meeting to determine if the disability caused the behavior or if the child acted on their own accord outside of the disability. District office don’t like when teachers and admin state that it doesn’t.”source ↗
“I think the wildest experience of my career was dealing with a middle school student who was masturbating in class, and there was hardcore debate about whether this was a manifestation of adhd.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 7Why do parents get mad about minor rules but ignore failing grades?
- 11Why teachers can't push back against unreasonable parents and admin
- 12Why do parents keep asking for my personal phone number?
- 2Students demanding alternative assignments meant for IEPs and 504s
- 154Why are students behaving so badly and parents refusing accountability?
- 3How to say no to parents asking for money