Supreme Court Hands Win to Student with Service Dog

On February 22, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals must reconsider whether a student with disabilities may sue her Michigan school district over its prohibition against her service dog. The case, Fry v. Napoleon Community Schools, was brought by Ehlena Fry and her family, assisted by the American Civil Liberties Union. The Plaintiffs argued that they should not be required to exhaust administrative remedies under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) before filing suit alleging violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires that people with disabilities have access to public institutions. 

 

The lower court must now reconsider the case on its merits to determine whether the school impermissibly prohibited the service dog under the standard set by the ADA.