On September 18, 2025, Kennedy Hunt P.C. filed a complaint against Carbondale Community High School District 165, Board of Education, in the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Illinois, for discrimination in violation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Illinois Human Rights Act.
The lawsuit alleges Carbondale Community High School discriminated against our client, a minor child with ADHD, Juvenile Huntington’s Disease, Dyslexia, Learning disabilities, cognitive decline, speech needs, anxiety, restless sleep, and limb movement disorder. The lawsuit alleges the district repeatedly refused to implement accommodations to support our client’s disabilities.
According to the lawsuit, when our client was enrolled at Carbondale Elementary, the school allegedly failed to provide proper accommodations, limited acknowledgment of his disability, and declined to offer adequate support. The lawsuit states that our client received low grades, failed several classes, scored at the lowest levels on standardized tests, and dropped to the 9th percentile in reading.
The lawsuit states that on May 5, 2023, before starting 9th grade, a teacher assessed our client as having a fourth-grade reading level. According to the lawsuit, our client’s mother requested accommodations to support our client’s disabilities.
Per the lawsuit:
Despite medical documentation and [our client’s] low academic performance, District 165 refused to implement these accommodations…[Our client’s mother] requested to hold [our client] back a year to improve academically. Carbondale Elementary refused this request.
According to the lawsuit, our client’s mother enrolled him in Brehm Preparatory School, a therapeutic day school recommended by his neuropsychologist, because the district refused to provide accommodations.
In the summer of 2023, a neuropsychologist diagnosed our client with specific learning disabilities in reading, writing, and math, ADHD, and developmental coordination disorder, and recommended daily structured literacy, collaborative speech services, and placement at a specialized school such as Brehm.
Despite receiving the doctor’s evaluation, the district allegedly rejected her recommendations and denied accommodations.
The lawsuit claims that in fall 2024, our client was diagnosed with Juvenile Huntington’s Disease. Our client’s mother then gave the district a letter from our client’s neurologist, recommending continued placement at Brehm as a reasonable accommodation. According to the lawsuit, the district denied the recommended accommodation.
The lawsuit alleges that the district’s denial of accommodations deprived our client of equal access to education. Our client has also experienced educational loss, developmental harm, and emotional distress.
This case is ongoing. For more information, contact attorney Michelle Faron at michelle@kennedyhuntlaw.com. If you or someone you know has been a victim of discrimination, our skilled attorneys at Kennedy Hunt, P.C. may be able to help you. Fill out a questionnaire so we can understand your claim.