Ennis Britton's On the Call
The Special Education Team of Ennis Britton hosts the podcast “On the Call." Each episode focuses on a real-life special education scenario you may have encountered or might bump into very soon. Ennis Britton attorneys Jeremy Neff and Erin Wessendorf - Wortman take the call and then discuss applicable cases and laws related to the scenario presented. Each episode wraps up with practical tips based on the Special Education Team's years of experience serving school districts throughout Ohio.
Episodes
70 episodes
On the Call: SLAPP
On the Call: SLAPP A classroom disruption sparks a parent letter packed with phrases like “prompt action” and “least restrictive environment,” and suddenly everyone’s asking: Who do we respond to, what can we say, and how do we protect staf...
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On the Call: MTSS RTI
A little yelling, a lot of feelings, and one big legal question: MTSS and RTI or IDEA, which controls? School staff know that a student's involvement in MTSS or RTI does not always mean the student has a disability. But sometimes, parents might...
On the Call: Bespoke Education/Methodologies
Parents want the best. The law wants appropriate. In this episode, Jeremy and Erin explore how those aren’t always the same thing and why giving in to a preferred methodology can sometimes create more problems than it solves. ...
On the Call: LRE Distractions
When “a class within a class” becomes reality, what’s a district supposed to do? In this episode, Jeremy and Erin dig into the legal and practical considerations that come with moving a student from general education to a self‑contained environ...
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On the Call: MDR Drugs
What happens when a student with an IEP is caught with weed at school, and everyone says, “We don’t need an MDR! It’s drugs!”? In this episode, Jeremy and Erin unpack a federal court decision that turned that approach upside down. They talk dis...
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On the Call: MDR Reevaluation
A sock full of rocks and a hallway surprise,One clunky, thunky moment that opened some eyes.Erin and Jeremy dive in deepTo a Wisconsin case where the problems ran steep.A reevaluation? Too narrow in scope.A BIP untouched,...
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On the Call: Staffing Shortages and Failure to Document
A substitute walks into a classroom, and the documentation walks out the door. In this episode, Erin and Jeremy explore how staffing shortages, substitute coverage, and inconsistent service logs can lead to materials failures to implement an IE...
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On the Call: Transportation as a Related Service
When it comes to accommodation requests, some people are willing to argue until you're both blue in the face. This is especially true when transportation is involved. In this episode, Erin and Jeremy explore a Connecticut case where a parent ch...
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On the Call: Twice Exceptional
#1. The student is gifted and talented. #2. The student has a disability. Often viewed as opposite ends of the spectrum, the two designations can often be two sides of the same coin. “Twice exceptional” students, those who are both capable of h...
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On the Call: Functional Behavioral Assessments and Staffing
As requests pile up, school staff can feel overwhelmed when conducting functional behavioral assessments. Are all of these requests necessary? In this episode, Erin and Jeremy discuss a case out of Pennsylvania where a district court argued tha...
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On the Call: Residential Placement
In this episode, Jeremy and Erin break down the legal standards for residential placements under IDEA and Section 504. They analyze lessons from a Washington state case in which the court drew clear lines between therapeutic care and educationa...
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On the Call: Safety Fears and LRE Considerations
In this episode, Erin and Jeremy dive into a Delaware case involving a student with disabilities who had recently returned from incarceration and was grieving the tragic loss of a sibling. The student challenged the district’s proposed placemen...
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On the Call: Changing Needs Based on the School Setting
A student with autism, a power tool, and a curtain - what could go wrong? When a vocational placement goes wrong, the consequences can be severe. In this episode, Jeremy and Erin explore how failing to update an IEP for a vocational setting led...
On the Call: Accommodations in Student Activities
Trying to avoid the drama over extracurricular accommodation requests? In this episode, Erin and Jeremy discuss a case from Wisconsin where a district properly denied a parent’s request for a paraprofessional aide to accompany their daughter du...
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On the Call: Excessive Absenteeism
Adams, Adamson, Adler, Anderson, Bueller…Bueller…Bueller? While Principal Rooney may not be the best example of how to handle a student’s absence, excessive absenteeism should start to raise some red flags at the district. In this episode, Jere...
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On the Call: FERPA and Social Media
School incidents don’t just stay in the classroom anymore! They’re landing on your For You Page. But are those viral videos FERPA compliant? In this episode, Erin and Jeremy break down a Colorado case where a parent’s TikTok went viral and an a...
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On the Call: IEP Software
In this episode, Jeremy and Erin tackle the growing tension between efficiency and individualization in special education documentation. As new technology allows for more dropdown menus, AI tools, and preset program options, the challenge is en...
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On the Call: Placement versus Location
In real estate, it’s all about “location, location, location.” In special education… not so much. In this episode, Jeremy and Erin examine a Florida case in which a parent challenged the location of services rather than the program itself, ther...
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On the Call: Kindergarten IAES
Welcome back for Season 4! Chairs flying. Tables climbed. Punches thrown. Explicit language. What sounds like a WWE showdown was, in fact, the day-to-day reality for one California kindergarten teacher.In this...
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On the Call: Service Animals
Who Let the Dogs In? Service dogs may not be there to eat your students’ homework, but their presence in the classroom can raise important legal questions for schools. In this episode, Erin and Jeremy dig into how service animals support studen...
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On the Call: Transportation and Discipline
When a student with a disability is suspended from bus service, does the district have to provide an alternative way to get them to school? In this episode, Erin and Jeremy examine what IDEA and 504 really require when it comes to student trans...
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On the Call: Prior Written Notice
Prior Written Notices are designed to ensure parents are fully informed and able to participate meaningfully in decisions about their child’s education. In this episode, Erin and Jeremy examine a case from New Mexico in which a district’s incon...
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On the Call: 504 Complaint Process
In this episode, Erin and Jeremy explore how Section 504’s protections and its many paths for complaints intersect with team dynamics, professional boundaries, and the risk of retaliation. They review a recent case out of Florida where a school...
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On the Call: Repetitive IEP Goals
They say practice makes perfect! But is that true when it comes to repeating IEP goals? In this episode, Erin and Jeremy discuss a case out of Washington, D.C., where parents sued their local school district over an IEP that included several go...
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On the Call: Balancing Accommodations and SDI
When does a child who graduates with a regular diploma and a 3.4 g.p.a. not receive FAPE? When assistive technology and other accommodations serve as a workaround for fundamental skills that the child is capable of acquiring. In this episode, J...
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