The Lakewood School District has been ordered to reimburse parents for private school tuition and provide hundreds of compensatory special education services after a New Jersey administrative law judge ruled that the district failed to provide an appropriate educational placement for their son during the 2025-2026 school year, according to documents obtained by TLS.
The parents were represented in the case by attorney Michael I. Inzelbuch.
In a decision issued October 9, Administrative Law Judge Allison Friedman ruled in favor of the parents, finding that the district failed to provide the child with a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment.
The case involved a 9-year-old boy with conditions that affect his cognitive and motor abilities.
The child had previously attended SCHI, a school specializing in educating children with special needs. During the 2024-2025 school year, SCHI arranged for him to participate in a trial placement at Orchos Chaim, where he attended a general education kindergarten class for one hour each day with a one-to-one aide.
The trial went well, and the child achieved his individualized education program goals. SCHI staff subsequently determined that the school did not have an appropriate class available for him for the 2025-2026 school year and indicated that a general education first-grade placement was appropriate.
His parents enrolled him at Orchos Chaim for first grade, where he attended with a full-time aide.
However, at an IEP meeting on September 18, 2025, the Lakewood School District continued to recommend placement at SCHI. The judge found that the district failed to adequately investigate the mother’s concerns and did not include SCHI representatives at the meeting, despite evidence that the school had determined it could not provide an appropriate class for the child.
The judge found that Orchos Chaim was an appropriate placement and that the child made meaningful academic, social and emotional progress. His school reports documented progress in reading, writing and math, along with improvements in independence, classroom behavior, interactions with classmates and completion of homework.
The decision also addressed therapy services that the child did not receive.
The judge also raised concerns about the handling of expert reports during the case, including an amended report from an educational professional whose revised opinion supported the placement at Orchos Chaim.
Under the ruling, the district must reimburse the parents for tuition for the secular education provided at Orchos Chaim and provide the related services included in the September 18, 2025 IEP.
The district was also ordered to provide compensatory services for services missed since September 2025 and continuing, including 62 speech therapy sessions, 93 occupational therapy sessions, 87 physical therapy sessions and 12 vision therapy consultations.
