Malden Asked Special Education Parents To Waive Rights: Watchdog

MALDEN, MA — Malden and at least 10 other Massachusetts school districts violated state and federal law this spring by asking parents of special education students to absolve the school district of certain responsibilities, according to a new report from a special education watchdog group.

State regulators have already found Malden noncompliant in the accusations raised in SPEDWatch's report. Other Massachusetts school districts are still being investigated for using the coronavirus shutdown of schools as a reason to circumvent requirements to provide key special education services.

Malden Superintendent John Oteri did not immediately respond to a Patch request for comment Friday.

SPEDwatch has filed complaints against Malden and 24 other Massachusetts school districts.

"They're preying on the fact that most parents don’t fully understand all of the laws around special education," Denise Sullivan, a state-appointed education advocate for students in foster care, told the Boston Globe, which first reported this story.

Read more from the Boston Globe.