Teacher of the Year Ceremony
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Bridgeport 25-0645

Complaint Summary

Date Findings Report Sent:

July 18, 2025

Case Number:

25-0645

Grade Level:

Elementary

Person filing complaint:

Parent

School District:

Bridgeport Public Schools

Allegation(s):

  • 34 CFR § 300.17(d) failure to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE), meaning special education and related services are provided in conformity with an individualized education program (IEP).
  • Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-76b-9(a) failure to notify the parent on the day of, or within twenty-four hours after, physical restraint or seclusion is used with the child as an emergency intervention to prevent immediate or imminent injury to the person or others.
  • 34 CFR § 300.324(a)(1) failure to consider, when developing an IEP, (i) the strengths of the child; (ii) the concerns of the parents for enhancing the education of their child; (iii) the results of the initial or most recent evaluation of the child; and (iv) the academic, developmental, and functional needs of the child.
  • 34 CFR § 300.321(a)(4) failure to ensure that PPT includes a representative of the public agency who (i) is qualified to provide, or supervise the provision of, specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of children with disabilities; (ii) is knowledgeable about the general education curriculum; and (iii) is knowledgeable about the availability of resources of the public agency.
  • 34 CFR § 300.623 failure to protect the confidentiality of personally identifiable information at collection, storage, disclosure, and destruction stages.
  • 34 CFR § 99.30 failure to ensure that the parent or eligible student provides a signed and dated written consent before disclosing personally identifiable information from the student’s education records.
  • 34 CFR § 300.322(b)(1)(i) failure to provide information to the parents to the purpose, time, and location of the meeting and who will be in attendance.

Conclusion(s):

  • District is unable to verify that a BIP was implemented with fidelity and therefore is in violation of 34 CFR § 300.17(d).
  • Alleged incidents were not seclusions, so the District had no reporting requirements and therefore is not in violation of Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-76b-9(a).
  • Consequent PPT was held to review current functioning and additional information, therefore the District is not in violation 34 CFR § 300.324(a)(1).
  • PPT meeting did not include all required members, therefore the District is in violation of 34 CFR § 300.321(a)(4).
  • The individual in question regarding the disclosure of information was a District employee with a legitimate educational interest in the information shared regarding the student. Therefore, the District is not in violation of 34 CFR § 300.623 or 34 CFR § 99.30.
  • An individual was not included on the Notice of Meeting nor documented as attending the PPT meeting on the IEP and therefore the District is in violation of 34 CFR § 300.322(b)(1)(i).

Corrective Action(s):

  • District is required to provide training on legal requirements of PPT membership, and the completion of documentation involving PPT attendance.
  • District is required to provide training on behavioral data collection and the implementation of BIPs.