Oregon Fails Vulnerable Students

Oregon Fails Vulnerable Students

Oregon Fails Vulnerable Students

Liam is a curious, intelligent and social 11-year old boy.

He also uses a wheelchair, due to disabilities caused by cerebral palsy. Liam is non-verbal but has learned to communicate by eye movement using a communication device. Although he needs assistance, Liam leads a happy life with his loving family and many friends.

Liam benefited from an excellent education through an Individual Education Plan, to which he is entitled under state and federal law—that is, until Governor Brown’s tyrannical mandates changed everything.

Liam’s medical condition makes it impossible for him to wear a mask or a face shield. Under COVID-19 restrictions, this meant that he could not go to school with his friends. Much of the time, Liam couldn’t even leave his home.

For nine months, during which Liam and his whole family survived COVID-19, his parents fought for adequate accommodations for their son.

Help finally came when the Jones family called the Freedom Foundation.

Our attorneys sent a demand letter on Liam’s behalf, requesting that new accommodations be made. Since then, Liam has been allowed back in school for two hours a day, separate from his peers.

But it’s still not enough. Liam deserves more.

The Freedom Foundation is proud to represent Liam and his parents as they continue the fight to get his life back.

Take a moment to watch the video below to learn more about Liam’s story.

Paralegal
pHollingshead@freedomfoundation.com
Originally from Idaho, Parker moved to Oregon to attend Corban University, where plans to graduate with Bachelor’s degree in Political Science next spring. When she’s not working as a policy associate for the Freedom Foundation, she loves to be out on water—whether spending the day at the coast, or the weekend on Coeur D’ Alene Lake. Some of her favorite things include dancing, The Beatles, and her Australian Labradoodle, Dooley.