Court Weighs Parents’ Rights Under IDEA

Some justices wary that ruling for family would increase cases.

Washington

Federal law generally bars parents who are not lawyers from representing their children in court, but the U.S. Supreme Court considered last week whether the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act creates an exception to that rule.

Jeff and Sandee Winkelman, who are not lawyers, want to represent their son in a lawsuit against the Parma, Ohio, school district, near Cleveland, over the child’s educational placement.

They cannot afford a lawyer, and they argue that the special education law allows them to represent their son, Jacob, who has autism. The Winkelmans also contend that they may argue for their own rights under the federal law. ( "Court to Hear IDEA Case on Parents’ Rights," ...