A tentative agreement has been reached in a 2010 federal lawsuit that claimed New Orleans schools failed to fulfill obligations to students with a variety of disabilities — including autism, hyperactivity and bipolar disorder.
U.S. District Judge Jay Zainey said in an order made public yesterday that an "agreement in principle" had been reached in the lawsuit filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of 10 students.
Settlement efforts had been going on for months.
Attorneys involved declined comment because the agreement is not yet final.
The law center claimed the state, which oversees most New Orleans Public Schools, violated the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Orleans Parish School Board was also a defendant in the suit.