{"argument_date":"2009-04-28T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2009-04-28T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2008","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Salmons argued the district improperly denied the child access to special education services.","Mr. Miller argued the district court has discretion to award tuition if the education was inadequate.","Mr. Feinerman argued the 1997 amendments prohibit reimbursement for unilateral private placements."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 29-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 29-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 21-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 35-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 35-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 45, lines 35-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 45, lines 35-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 27-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 27-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 49-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 49-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 17-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 11-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 11-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 37-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 37-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 13-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 31-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 41-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 49-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 23-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 23-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 51-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 51-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 43-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 43-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 7-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 7-13"}]}],"caption":"Forest Grove School Dist. v. T.A.","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:26.414111Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:26.424520Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Parents seek tuition reimbursement after the district wrongly denied their child special education services.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 29-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 29-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 21-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 45, lines 35-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 45, lines 35-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 27-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 27-47"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2009-04-28T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2008","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/08-305.html","primary_docket":"08-305","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T02:11:59.213407Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["The case tests whether IDEA allows tuition reimbursement when a district wrongly denies eligibility."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 29-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 29-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 21-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 45, lines 35-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 45, lines 35-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 27-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 27-47"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on April 28, 2009."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 49-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 49-3"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["The district wants the court to deny the tuition reimbursement claim.","The parents want the court to order the district to pay private school tuition."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 29-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 29-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 21-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 45, lines 35-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 45, lines 35-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 27-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 27-47"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["The district argues the 1997 IDEA amendments prohibit reimbursement for unilateral private placements.","The parents argue the district’s wrong denial of eligibility entitles them to tuition reimbursement."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 29-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 29-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 21-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 45, lines 35-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 45, lines 35-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 27-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 27-47"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Scalia asked if the parents chose private school only after the denial.","Justice Ginsburg asked if the child was entitled to education but did not receive it."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 35-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 35-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 49-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 49-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 17-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 11-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 11-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 37-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 37-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 13-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 31-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 41-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 49-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 23-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 23-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 51-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 51-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 43-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 43-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 7-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 7-13"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This dispute determines whether school districts must pay for private education after wrongly denying services."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 29-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 29-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 21-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 45, lines 35-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 45, lines 35-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 27-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 27-47"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 35-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 35-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 49-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 49-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 17-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 11-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 11-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 37-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 37-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 13-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 31-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 41-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 49-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 49-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 23-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 23-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 51-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 51-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 43-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 43-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 7-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 7-13"}]}],"slug":"2008-08-305-forest-grove-school-dist-v-t-a","term":"2008","title":"Can parents recover private school tuition if the district wrongly denied special education eligibility?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 29-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 29-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 21-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 45, lines 35-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 45, lines 35-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 27-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2008/08-305.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 27-47"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}
