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NEWS MARCH 22, 2021 ¦ 23

Legal Service Organizations Say Problems
Continue for Bridgeport Special-Ed Students

By Michael Marciano

Lawyers from the Connecticut-based Center
for Children’s Advocacy and Connecticut Le-
gal Services have teamed up to file a complaint
against the city of Bridgeport’s school system for a
third time since 2013, alleging inadequate services
to special education students.
In a March 11 complaint, the organizations claims
problems with special education services have not
been adequately identified and addressed, particu-
larly for children in low-income households. The
complaint follows state acknowledgments in prior
cases that Bridgeport was not succeeding in its state-
mandated mission to educate all children fairly and
equitably.
Attorney Kathryn Meyer, with the Center for
Children’s Advocacy, said the goal of this latest com-
plaint is not to penalize Bridgeport’s public schools,
but to shed light on the problems, which may be
symptomatic of other issues requiring a combina-
tion of remedies.
“We’re looking for more lasting, impactful change
to include monitoring and enforcement, and for the
state to play amore active role,” Meyer said. “This Attorney Kathryn Meyer of the Center for Children’s
specific complaint is around severe staffing short- Advocacy.

ages in Bridgeport right now, which have been oc- weeks into the fall, 2020 session. Complainants add
curring statewide and are connected to COVID-19, that the school system “repeatedly refused to share
but these deficiencies had been happening before any information pertaining to Mr. Maguire’s provi-
COVID. COVID just exacerbated it.” sion of services for the 2019-2020 and 2020- 2021
The March 11 complaint calls specific attention to school year,” and that they estimate the student is
the case of two special education students at Wil- owed at least 200 hours of compensatory education
bur Cross School, whose names have been redacted. services.
One, aged 14, has been left without a case manag- The second student, age 13, is represented by
er for much of the past year, dating back to before Connecticut Legal Services, and also missed numer-
the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to the ous days of instruction due to Maguire’s reported
Center for Children’s Advocacy. The student’s pri- absences, the complaint states. Despite repeated re-
mary case manager, John Maguire “had exhibited quests for information about scheduling a Planning
inconsistent attendance since before the COVID-19 and Placement Team session, the student’s mother
school closure began,” the complaint alleges, add- was unable to obtain information from the principal
ing that the student was left without a teacher a few
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