Mark your calendars for the
2020 Breaking Barriers Awards Gala
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DRM fights for #Blueprint4MD
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Leslie Margolis, DRM Managing Attorney, testifying at the Legislature on February 17, 2020
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Leslie was also recently featured in a
Washington Post article
about the tragic death of Bowen Levy, a Maryland student with an intellectual disability. She spoke of
the importance of "individualized education programs, known as IEPs"
and emphasized that schools are required by law to provide what is specified within IEP outlines.
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DRM attends Developmental Disabilities Day
at the Legislature
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Ben Jackson, DRM Attorney, and Tracy Wright, DRM Voting Advocate, registering voters. (Picture courtesy of The Arc Maryland)
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Disability Rights Maryland sponsored Developmental Disabilities Day at the Legislature
on February 12th, along with many other advocates and organizations within the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Coalition. To learn more about the event and download handouts, please see
The Arc Maryland’s website
.
With over 1,500 constituents, advocates, representatives and government officials in attendance, Marylanders at this event learned more about proposed bills at the 2020 Maryland General Assembly. Speakers addressed the impact of this year’s considered legislation on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Reducing the Use of
Unnecessary Restraint and Isolation
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Megan Berger, DRM Attorney
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Students with disabilities and students of color are disproportionately harmed by the presence of police in schools. According to a report from the ACLU that analyzed data from the
U.S. Department of Education
, students with disabilities are 2.9 times more likely to be arrested than students without disabilities when police are present in schools. Black boys with disabilities suffer the highest arrest rate,
at 5 times the rate for all students
.
There are currently 360 School Resource Officers (SROs) assigned in Maryland Public Schools. DRM and partner organizations are concerned that an increased presence of SROs in schools will harm students and disproportionately propel students with disabilities and students of color into the school-to-prison pipeline for low-level offenses like fighting and disorderly conduct.
DRM attorneys have seen first-hand the traumatic and harmful impact that SRO and police interactions can have on students.
In one case, DRM attorney, Megan Berger represented an eleven year-old with multiple disabilities who had left his classroom and wanted to stay in an empty classroom. When he didn’t follow the directives of the school staff, the SRO was called to respond. The SRO became involved, the situation escalated, and a power struggle resulted with our client being restrained in handcuffs for over 30 minutes. Our client screamed and cried the whole 30 minutes (this is captured on video) and begged for the handcuffs to be removed. After the incident, our client’s parent took him to the hospital where it was determined that he suffered a fractured wrist. He was also diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of the incident and didn’t want to return to school. DRM successfully assisted the family with securing a new school for our client that better met his needs.
In another case, DRM represented another eleven year-old student who was handcuffed and arrested at school because she refused to sit in her assigned seat and follow the directive of her administrator. This student was charged with disorderly conduct and spent two hours in a jail cell while her mother frantically drove home from a work conference to pick her up. DRM successfully represented this student to a settlement with the school system and police department.
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Tacha Marshall, DRM Paralegal, featured in #DisabilityinBlack series
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Tacha Marshall, DRM Paralegal
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Looking for volunteer opportunities?
DRM maintains a
Pro Bono Referral Service
where we match those people whom our resources are unable to serve with attorneys who are willing to provide
free legal representation
. If you are interested in a meaningful Pro Bono experience, we encourage you to join our program!
The
PAIMI Advisory Council
is always looking to increase its membership and affiliates! The PAIMI Council advises DRM’s staff and governing authority on policies and priorities to be carried out in
protecting and advocating for the rights of individuals with mental illness in Maryland
.
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Worried you may have faced voting discrimination?
To report voting concerns that may be related to a disability
(such as access to a polling place, voter assistance, or problems using a voting machine), please contact:
Disability Rights Maryland Voter Hotline
by phone:
443-692-2492; 800-233-7201 ext. 2492; TTY: 410-235-5387
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Looking for paid opportunities?
DRM is looking for a
Communications Associate
and
Human Resources Associate
to join our team! We're also always on the lookout for
law student interns
. If you or anyone else you know is interested in joining us, visit
the DRM Careers page
to learn more.
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