Schaffer v. Weast

Brian Schaffer ex rel. Schaffer v. Superintendent Jerry Weast
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued February 22, 2005
Decided October 5, 2005
Full case nameBrian Schaffer ex rel. v. Superintendent Jerry Weast
Citations546 U.S. 49 (more)
Holding
The parents/guardians have the burden of proof regarding disputes over a child's education under IDEA.
Court membership
Chief Justice
John Roberts
Associate Justices
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
David Souter · Clarence Thomas
Ruth Bader Ginsburg · Stephen Breyer
Case opinions
MajorityO'Connor, joined by Kennedy, Scalia, Souter, Thomas
ConcurrenceStevens
DissentGinsburg
DissentBreyer
Roberts took no part in the consideration or decision of the case.
Laws applied
Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act

Schaffer v. Weast,[1] 546 U.S. 49 (2005), is a Supreme Court case that determined that the burden of proof belonged to whoever challenged an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Schaffer v. Weast revised the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which had introduced IEPs as a method of ensuring an individual and effective education for disabled students. Prior to Schaffer v. Weast, when any party challenged an IEP, the burden of proof was almost always placed on the respective school system.[2]

  1. ^ "Schaffer v. Weast, 546 U.S. 49 (2005)". Justia Law. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
  2. ^ Conroy, Terrye; Yell, Mitchell L.; Katsiyannis, Antonis (April 1, 2008). "Schaffer v. Weast". Remedial and Special Education. 29 (2): 108–117. doi:10.1177/0741932508317273. ISSN 0741-9325.