In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Minnesota teenager with epilepsy, Ava Tharpe, and her parents, who sued the Osseo Area Schools for failing to provide equal educational opportunities. The case, A.J.T. v. Osseo Area Schools, focused on the legal threshold for proving disability discrimination in education. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the opinion, stating that plaintiffs need only demonstrate “deliberate indifference” by the school system, rejecting the school district’s argument for a tougher “bad faith or gross misjudgment” standard. The ruling aligns disability discrimination claims in education with other sectors under federal law, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act.

Ava’s family had requested that she be allowed to attend school at night, as she had done in Kentucky, due to her severe epilepsy. The school district refused, resulting in her receiving only 65% of her peers’ instructional time. Lower courts sided with the district, applying a stricter standard. The Supreme Court’s decision now allows Ava to pursue her case under a more reasonable burden of proof. Disability rights advocates welcomed the ruling, emphasizing its importance for ensuring fair treatment of children with disabilities in public schools. Chief Justice Roberts noted that children with impairments already face “daunting challenges,” and should not have to meet a higher legal bar than others when seeking justice under federal disability laws. The verdict may influence future disability discrimination cases across the country.