Settlement finds solution with new MLFTC-affiliated Urban Collaborative

October 31, 2019

California’s Pasadena Unified School District has reached a settlement that will spur changes to its special education programs under the recommendations and guidance of Lauren Katzman. Katzman is executive director of The Urban Collaborative, a center at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, and an associate research professor.

The settlement is the result of a 2016 class action lawsuit that focused on one of the district’s schools, which was shown to have isolated students with behavioral and mental health disabilities and to have engaged in practices that included placing students in padded rooms and restraining them. Hired as an independent expert to consult the school district, Katzman and a team from the Urban Collaborative have audited the district’s programs and are drafting a report with recommendations for changes. The recommendations are aimed at increasing inclusive education practices and supporting students with behavioral and mental health disabilities in the general education environment. Katzman and the team will oversee the implementation of the changes for the next five years, according to terms of the settlement.