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Parent alleges district dehumanized her child in court; district official defends special education staff
Summary
At the Oct. 7 board meeting a parent of a child with Down syndrome and autism accused the district of using demeaning language in a Sept. 12 federal hearing and said the district later sued the family; a district representative told the board its court presentations were based on facts and law and praised special education staff.
A Carteret County parent told the school board on Oct. 7 that the district’s legal team described her 11‑year‑old son in "a sexualized and dehumanizing manner" during a Sept. 12 federal hearing concerning a 2023 settlement agreement, and said the district subsequently sued the family.
"The words spoken were vile. They were atrocious and discriminatory," Rebecca Droberg said during public comment, adding that her son has Down syndrome and autism and that she and her husband have lived in Carteret County for 10 years. She said the district’s description of her son to a judge "served no legitimate purpose" and painted him "as someone unworthy of an education, particularly an education with his nondisabled peers." Droberg asked the board to "recognize and condemn these tactics" and to ensure district leaders and representatives act with professionalism and respect.
After public comment, a district representative addressed the board and, by the board chair’s permission, briefly departed from the usual practice of not responding to public comments. The official said the district "offers and provides not only extraordinary educational services to the special needs children in our county, but strives to go far beyond what is required under state and federal laws regarding special education." The speaker added that the North Carolina School Board Association provided an experienced special education attorney to represent the district and said, "all presentations on behalf of the school system were based on true facts, true law, and were designed to inform the court of the situation and not to embarrass the family." The district representative identified the special education department head as knowledgeable and compassionate.
The board did not take formal action on the matter during the meeting. Droberg said she has pursued legal remedies to enforce a 2023 settlement; the transcript indicates the family had a federal court hearing on Sept. 12. The district representative said the board’s special education staff and legal counsel acted professionally and in accordance with law, but provided no additional detail about the court filings or the status of litigation during the meeting.
No vote or staff direction was recorded in the meeting minutes for this item at the Oct. 7 meeting.
