When a Maine couple wanted to send their son to school with a recording device to ensure that his individualized education program, or IEP, was being followed, the school district said no. Now the family is fighting back.

Jane Quirion and Matthew Pollack say they became concerned about their son Ben, 13, who is nonverbal and has autism and intellectual disability, after he left school one day and cried for over 90 minutes and another incident when he was allegedly left unsupervised at school.

Earlier this year, they informed school officials that they intended to send Ben to class with a tape recorder. In response, a school district attorney said that Ben would not be allowed at school if he brought the device, arguing that an audio recording would violate the privacy of other students and would conflict with the district’s contract with its teachers.

Now, the family is fighting back, alleging that the school district is violating their son’s rights by barring the recorder, and say they may file a federal lawsuit over the matter, reports the Lewiston, Maine Sun Journal. To read more click here.

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