Teacher of the Year Ceremony
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Meriden 25-0665

Complaint Summary

Date Findings Report Sent:

July 24, 2025

Case Number:

25-0665

Grade Level:

High school

Person filing complaint:

Parent

School District:

Meriden Public Schools

Allegation(s):

  • The Parent alleges that the District failed to implement the Student’s IEP by not providing the Student with one to one paraprofessional support in all areas in accordance with his IEP when his assigned paraeducator left the Student to use the restroom and the Student then went to the bathroom with another paraeducator and student, leading to an incident in the bathroom that potentially would not have occurred if the Student had been provided the one to one paraprofessional support in all areas outlined in his IEP. 34 CFR §§ 300.323(c)(2) and 300.17 and RCSA § 10-76d-1(a)(1)

Conclusion(s):

  • The Student’s IEP required one to one paraprofessional support in all classes and all areas. While it is not unreasonable to expect that the assigned 1:1 paraeducator would need a break to use the restroom in addition to her required lunch break, the District must have a plan in place to fulfill the requirements of students’ IEPs. The District has a procedure in place to provide coverage when a student who receives one on one paraprofessional support must take an allowable break, which includes notifying another staff member to provide support during their break. On May 1, 2025, when the Student’s 1:1 paraeducator briefly left the Student to use the restroom, the Student was provided with two to one (student:staff) paraprofessional support. While it was concerning that the students were found to be in the same bathroom stall, those concerns are beyond the scope of the state complaint process and are the responsibility of the District to be addressed. The District informed this investigator that the concerns were in fact addressed. Given the fact that situation in which the Student was provided two to one paraprofessional support was extremely brief and the paraeducator would not have entered the bathroom with the Student for privacy reasons, it is determined that it does not qualify as a material implementation failure and the District did not violate 34 CFR §§ 300.323(c)(2) and 300.17 and RCSA § 10-76d-1(a)(1). No corrective action is required.

Corrective Action(s):

  • None