School Officials making child advocate leave a meeting when parents want them there.

Hi, my name is lolalee and i am a child advocate in education. i have had school officials force me to leave meetings i have attended with my clients and their parents when i have asked questions reguarding my clients education, or lack thereof. I want to know if the school officials can force me to leave if the parents want me there and i am advocating for the rights of my client. i have never been rude, disruptive, loud or displayed any behavior that was not professional. the school officals just don't like my questions. all of the meetings have been recorded. any help anyone can give me on this would be appreciated. it's my clients who are hurt because of this.

Re: School Officials making child advocate leave a meeting when parents want them there.

lolalee said:

Hi, my name is lolalee and i am a child advocate in education. i have had school officials force me to leave meetings i have attended with my clients and their parents when i have asked questions reguarding my clients education, or lack thereof. I want to know if the school officials can force me to leave if the parents want me there and i am advocating for the rights of my client. i have never been rude, disruptive, loud or displayed any behavior that was not professional. the school officals just don't like my questions. all of the meetings have been recorded. any help anyone can give me on this would be appreciated. it's my clients who are hurt because of this.

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My response:

Because you can't follow the directions and instructions of this Forum, all I can do is take a guess - - -

You are asked to leave because, to them, you are an intrusion into THEIR private business affairs. Their discussions are with the child's parents only, and not with some "foreign" person at the meeting.

If they don't want you their, and since you're on their "turf", you follow their rules. All because the parents want you there, that fact doesn't take their "rights" away in terms of wanting privacy in their meetings with the parents.

As a "child advocate", and since this is your "business," I would imagine you would have already found out what you can, and cannot, do in that capacity. I further imagine, that without a court order in your hand, they have every right to ask you to leave.

IAAL

To I AM ALWAYS LIABLE,
I am not interested in getting into an argument with anyone. However I found your message rude. Of course I am intruding on their turf. That is what I am paid to do. They have violated the rights of my client under IDEA and many other special education statues. They have harrassed the parents, the child as well as the childs siblings. When confronted, they asked me to leave. Since the parents want me there all I asked was can they have me removed? Sorry if I insulted or upset you, that was not my intention. My only intention is to get the education for my clients, that my clients have a legal right to under the law.

lolalee said:

To I AM ALWAYS LIABLE,
I am not interested in getting into an argument with anyone. However I found your message rude. Of course I am intruding on their turf. That is what I am paid to do. They have violated the rights of my client under IDEA and many other special education statues. They have harrassed the parents, the child as well as the childs siblings. When confronted, they asked me to leave. Since the parents want me there all I asked was can they have me removed? Sorry if I insulted or upset you, that was not my intention. My only intention is to get the education for my clients, that my clients have a legal right to under the law.

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My response:

I'm glad you found my response to be "rude." It was meant to be.

When you can't read, and / or won't read, and follow, the instructions of this Forum, it makes my life difficult. This is because I waste my precious time reading posts like yours, and then, I find I can't give "specific" advice or suggestions because people like you don't read instructions.

Perhaps, and this is only another guess, that you're asked to leave these meetings is because you refused, or fail, to follow instructions ?

And, because of your failure, I still can't give you specific information. So, you're on your own, kiddo.

IAAL

It is my understanding that parents can attend a PPT with either a legal representative or an advocate. This is a parents' right and the school district cannot prohibit any person from attending a PPT if that person is present at the parents' request or desire.

If the school district is asking you to leave a PPT, then the parents have a right to end the PPT on the basis that their rights of representation are being violated. It would be stronger for you to observe and provide the parents the questions, arguments and requests that need to be made. So that you are, in fact, acting in accordance with the role of an advocate, not attorney.

In some states, there are specific policies regarding the ability of an advocate to represent parents in due process hearings...my advice, if there is strong evidence that a students rights are being violated in accordance with IDEA, the best plan is for the parents retain legal representation immediately.

To GrandV
Thank you for your information. The parents always end the meeting when I am asked to leave. The parents are fed the questions, and the officials do not like it. This last time however, the school did threaten to have me arrested. I said nothing, but all of us walked out. The parents have an attorney at this point. I have found that in Texas, the schools here do not think that they are subject to any Federal Laws or Mandates. Again, thank you for your time and information.

If you are talking about a case conference committee meeting, the parents can ask that you be made a part of that committee, in which case you would be invited to attend.

I don't know of any case in Indiana in which a parent advocate was told to get lost when he/she tried to attend a meeting at which a school and the parents were convening to talk about the child's needs.

I am not lawyer like the rest of your responses but I can tell you what meeting restrictions are in effect for the NC School Board .

If its an informal meeting, you can bring the whole fam damily !!
But if your meeting from the filing of a formal grievance, the meeting is restricted to the parents, a guardian or someone acting in loco parentis. Go figure what the last one is, but I can assure you, with their CYA policies, it aint an advocate !!

For today's Latin lesson, boys and girls:

In loco parentis means "in place of the parents."