HCPSS MPIA Request #2018-428

Requested Information
I request you provide me with all legal fees incurred by Howard County Public Schools during due process hearings since fiscal year 2015. This includes for cases:
1. 14-H-HOWD-15722
2. 14-H-HOWD-33335
3. 15-H-HOWD-15272
4. 16-H-HOWD-15264
As well as any other due process cases not listed above.
Status
Complete
Response Notes

Responsive to this request, and per discussions to clarify, please find below attorney invoices reflecting legal fees paid by HCPSS related to the special education due process complaints since FY2015 heard before the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), which restricts access to student records, and MPIA GP ยง 4-313, which prevents disclosure of school district records pertaining to individual students, student names, school names (where the school name may allow a person to readily match students with the record), and other involved party names (where a name has the potential to reveal a school and/or student by association) have been redacted from the responsive documents.

Responsive Documents
OAH NO.: MSDE-HOWD-OT-14-15722
Invoices reflect MSDE-HOWD-OT-13-15722 however we have matched filing/decision dates. See redaction exemptions above.
OAH NO.: MSDE-HOWD-OT-14-33335
Invoices reflect MSDE-HOWD-OT-02-14-33335 however we have matched filing/decision dates. See redaction exemptions above.
OAH NO.: MSDE-HOWD-OT-15-15272
The first invoice does not contain the case number as attorney fees began prior to HCPSS filing complaint. See redaction exemptions above.

*Some request language is summarized to include the requester's specific document requests and legally protected information (such as personally identifiable information of a student) or personal, defamatory and malicious content removed at the discretion of the school system.

**Responses containing legally protected information available only to the person of interest are omitted from the above report.

***Howard County Public Schools reserves the right to remove erroneous or outdated documents from this site.