Select Region
Follow us!


NYC To Pay Bullied Girl’s Private School Tuition

NYC To Pay Bullied Girl’s Private School Tuition


In a landmark decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, New York City will pay for a learning-disabled student’s private school tuition. The courts upheld a previous ruling that the principal and teachers at her NYC school failed to stop or prevent her from being bullied, violating the US Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, according to the New York Post.

The student—who is not being identified—was bullied by classmates at PS 6 on the Upper East Side when she was in the third grade. It was found that the school’s principal, Lauren Fontana, “stonewalled” the girl’s parents, refusing to discuss the bullying or address it in her special education plan. In addition, teachers did nothing to stop or prevent the bullying, which included being pinched hard enough to cause a bruise, having her toes stomped on and being called “ugly,” “smelly,” “stupid” and “fat.”

The three-member appellate panel unanimously upheld a ruling by federal Judge Jack Weinstein that the city Department of Education violated the US Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

“I think it’s an important decision, not only for my family, but for all children with special needs who have faced these issues before,” the girl’s dad, Tracy Klestadt, a bankruptcy lawyer, told The Post.



The girl’s parents eventually pulled her out of PS 6, enrolling her in the private Summit School in Queens for children with learning disabilities. The parents sued for reimbursement of the $28,000 per year tuition, and even though the NYC DOE itself would be reimbursed by the state, it refused to pay.

During the seven-year court battle, Klestadt said he paid about $280,000 in legal fees, which he will now ask the courts to make the city pay. The family eventually moved to Long Island, where the school district agreed to pay for the girl’s tuition at Summit. Now a senior at age 17, she has “flourished.”

“Students have the right to expect they can attend school free from physical or psychological abuse,” said Gary Mayerson, the parents’ lawyer. “And parents can expect that if they raise or communicate concerns about bullying, that those concerns will be acted upon in a timely manner and addressed.”

RELATED: Find More Special Needs Resources Near You

Never hear 'I'm bored' again with our weekly family-activities newsletter!


More Special Needs Articles:

Support & Resources for Children with Special Needs in Brooklyn

Get the proper care for your child with special needs with these helpful resources in Brooklyn. Find the perfect school or therapy program online.


Latest News:

Read the 2022 Special Child Issue Today!

The 2022 issues of Special Parent are full of advice and resources for special needs parents.


Family Activities:



Have a Laugh:

Best Memes of the Week for Parents

Here are the funniest parenting memes from Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit this week.

Author: Linda DiProperzio has written extensively on parenting issues for Parents, American Baby, Parenting, and Family Circle, among others. She lives in New York with her husband and two sons. See More

Featured Listings:

Brownstein Special Ed Hebrew School

Brownstein Special Ed Hebrew School

Glen Head, NY The Brownstein Special Ed Hebrew School offers a unique approach to Jewish learning. Aside from being the first Hebrew school of its kind to open in ...

Variety Child Learning Center

Variety Child Learning Center

Syosset, NY Variety Child Learning Center provides services to more than 750 children and families annually. Services include evaluations to determine eligibility...