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Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Children (P.A.R.C.) v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania laws allowed schools to exclude children they considered too mentally disabled to be educated. P.A.R.C. argued that these laws unconstitutionally denied some special needs children access to public education. The court held that all disabled children benefit from education and approved a consent agreement between the parties that laid the groundwork for IDEA, FAPE, IEPs, and state and federal statutes that provide and protect the rights of disabled children (Forte Law, n.d.). -
Mills v. Board of Education of the District of Columbia
Mills, representing children with a variety of disabilities, argued that they were being unconstitutionally denied access to public education. D.C. school district argued that it did not have the funds to provide the special services they needed. The court ruled that this was not a valid reason to deny them an education and that public schools must provide free education to all children with disabilities (Forte Law, n.d.).