SRO holds that IHO exceeded authority in awarding interim relief

SRO 10-083: In what is an interesting and potentially very important case, the SRO sustained the district’s appeal of an IHO pendency decision that had ordered the provision of a 1:1 health paraprofessional for a child parentally placed in a private school. The IHO had initially determined that the child was not entitled to the 1:1 health para pursuant to pendency, but awarded same reasoning, inter alia, that the child might be precluded from attending school without the service. The SRO held that the award of interim relief was at odds with the statutory and regulatory pendency provisions. The parents argued that the award was an “equitable order” and not one based upon pendency. The SRO rejected this argument reasoning that the order was, on its face, a pendency order. The SRO cast doubt upon whether an IHO has the authority to award interim relief.