- A federal court ruled the Salt Lake City School District violated disability laws.
- The court found the district failed to provide Henry Sandy an Individualized Education Program.
- This decision may impact how districts handle special education placements in the future.
SALT LAKE CITY — After a seven-year legal battle, the family of Henry Sandy, a teen with Down syndrome, is celebrating a major victory. A federal appeals court has overturned a previous federal court decision, ruling that the Salt Lake City School District violated federal disability laws by failing to provide Henry with an Individualized Education Program.
Henry, now a freshman at East High School, is known for his infectious personality and love of sports.
"My favorite sports are baseball, basketball, softball and golf," he said with a grin.
His older sister Eliza, also a student at East High, shared how beloved he is among peers.
"He knows more people than I ever have," she said. "Oh my gosh, I just walk the halls—'Hey Henry, hey Henry.'"
"He's so funny, he's so smart, he's always surprising us. He is just the kindest person ever," Eliza added.
Despite his strong social connections and supportive family, the Sandys said Henry lacked one critical support: an IEP. Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, students with special needs are entitled to an IEP tailored to their unique learning requirements. But in 2019, the district attempted to place Henry in a self-contained classroom at a HUB school for students with severe disabilities — without conducting an individualized assessment.
That's when the Sandys turned to the Disability Law Center.
"After looking into it, we determined this is actually a violation of IDEA," the center's Nate Crippes said. "Our position was that, ultimately, the school is making decisions based on a diagnosis without doing an individual assessment of an individual."
In 2023, a federal district court sided with the school district and dismissed the case. But last week, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision.
"The federal judges were able to say, this is not a placement issue. This is, in fact, a denial of his rights as a student in your district," Amanda, Henry's mother, said. "You need to go back to the drawing board and start over and fix this."
While the ruling may come too late to fully benefit Henry, his family believes it marks a turning point.
My hope is that we set a precedent for other kids that come behind him.
–Amanda Sandy
"Change that brings people together and connects us as a community is always beneficial. And always worth it," Amanda Sandy said. "My hope is that we set a precedent for other kids that come behind him."
The case now returns to the state level for further proceedings.
Meanwhile, the district has begun collecting data on Henry and offered him an IEP two months ago.
When asked for comment, the Salt Lake City School District stated it cannot comment on ongoing cases.
This decision could have wide-reaching implications for how districts approach special education placements — reminding schools that diagnoses alone should never dictate a child's educational path.
