October Term 2024 · Docket 24-249
Do schools face the same intent standard for all disability discrimination claims?
The dispute centers on whether courts must apply a single intent standard to all disability discrimination claims against schools.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — An official Court opinion was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
The student's advocate stated that both sides agree the ADA and Rehabilitation Act apply the same legal standards to all plaintiffs.
The school district's advocate argued that the defendant must have acted with discriminatory intent, described as bad faith, to be liable.
Justice Roberts noted that the district conceded the main legal question, suggesting the case might be resolved by that concession alone.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 35-43 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 35-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 53-19 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 53-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 101, lines 37-21 — Transcript, file page 101, lines 37-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 37-51 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 37-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 47-51 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 47-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 21-31 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 21-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 35-39 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 35-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 23-1 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 23-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 9-27 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 9-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 37-51 — Transcript, file page 33, lines 37-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 35-35 — Transcript, file page 39, lines 35-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 23-17 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 23-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 21-15 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 21-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 55-9 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 55-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 11-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 15-43 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 15-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 31-35 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 31-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 49-53 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 49-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 19-27 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 19-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 70, lines 7-27 — Transcript, file page 70, lines 7-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 72, lines 7-11 — Transcript, file page 72, lines 7-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 17-31 — Transcript, file page 74, lines 17-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 9-13 — Transcript, file page 74, lines 9-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 75, lines 13-39 — Transcript, file page 75, lines 13-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 55-53 — Transcript, file page 76, lines 55-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 78, lines 33-35 — Transcript, file page 78, lines 33-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 78, lines 7-13 — Transcript, file page 78, lines 7-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 47-51 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 47-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 15-19 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 15-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 27-39 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 27-39
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
A student sued her school district for disability discrimination. The lower courts applied different intent standards to different legal claims. The parties now argue the Court should clarify the correct standard.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 101, lines 37-21 — Transcript, file page 101, lines 37-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 37-51 — Transcript, file page 33, lines 37-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 35-35 — Transcript, file page 39, lines 35-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 23-17 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 23-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 21-15 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 21-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 11-13
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on April 28, 2025.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 15-43 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 15-43
What each side wants
The student wants the Court to apply a single, uniform intent standard to all her disability discrimination claims.
The school district wants the Court to allow different intent standards for different types of disability discrimination claims.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 101, lines 37-21 — Transcript, file page 101, lines 37-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 37-51 — Transcript, file page 33, lines 37-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 35-35 — Transcript, file page 39, lines 35-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 23-17 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 23-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 21-15 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 21-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 11-13
What each side says
The student argues that the ADA and Rehabilitation Act require the same intent standard for all plaintiffs, rejecting uniquely stringent tests for children.
The school district argues that bare IDEA violations do not support liability under Section 504 or the ADA without discriminatory intent.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 101, lines 37-21 — Transcript, file page 101, lines 37-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 37-51 — Transcript, file page 33, lines 37-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 35-35 — Transcript, file page 39, lines 35-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 23-17 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 23-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 21-15 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 21-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 11-13
What the justices asked
Justice Kavanaugh asked about the difference between deliberate indifference and bad faith.
Justice Sotomayor questioned the source of the various intent tests and noted that motive is often irrelevant in law.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 35-43 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 35-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 53-19 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 53-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 37-51 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 37-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 47-51 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 47-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 21-31 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 21-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 35-39 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 35-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 23-1 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 23-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 9-27 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 9-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 55-9 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 55-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 15-43 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 15-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 31-35 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 31-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 49-53 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 49-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 19-27 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 19-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 70, lines 7-27 — Transcript, file page 70, lines 7-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 72, lines 7-11 — Transcript, file page 72, lines 7-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 17-31 — Transcript, file page 74, lines 17-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 9-13 — Transcript, file page 74, lines 9-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 75, lines 13-39 — Transcript, file page 75, lines 13-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 55-53 — Transcript, file page 76, lines 55-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 78, lines 33-35 — Transcript, file page 78, lines 33-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 78, lines 7-13 — Transcript, file page 78, lines 7-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 47-51 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 47-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 15-19 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 15-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 27-39 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 27-39
Why it matters
The decision will determine whether students must prove different levels of intent to win different types of disability discrimination lawsuits against schools.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 101, lines 37-21 — Transcript, file page 101, lines 37-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 37-51 — Transcript, file page 33, lines 37-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 35-35 — Transcript, file page 39, lines 35-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 23-17 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 23-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 21-15 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 21-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 11-13
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 35-43 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 35-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 53-19 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 53-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 37-51 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 37-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 47-51 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 47-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 21-31 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 21-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 35-39 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 35-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 23-1 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 23-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 9-27 — Transcript, file page 15, lines 9-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 11-21 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 11-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 67, lines 55-9 — Transcript, file page 67, lines 55-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 15-43 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 15-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 31-35 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 31-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 69, lines 49-53 — Transcript, file page 69, lines 49-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 19-27 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 19-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 70, lines 7-27 — Transcript, file page 70, lines 7-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 72, lines 7-11 — Transcript, file page 72, lines 7-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 17-31 — Transcript, file page 74, lines 17-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 9-13 — Transcript, file page 74, lines 9-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 75, lines 13-39 — Transcript, file page 75, lines 13-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 55-53 — Transcript, file page 76, lines 55-53
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 78, lines 33-35 — Transcript, file page 78, lines 33-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 78, lines 7-13 — Transcript, file page 78, lines 7-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 47-51 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 47-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 15-19 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 15-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 27-39 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 27-39
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Verified official opinions and orders
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 101, lines 37-21 — Transcript, file page 101, lines 37-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 37-51 — Transcript, file page 33, lines 37-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 35-35 — Transcript, file page 39, lines 35-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 23-17 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 23-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 21-15 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 21-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 11-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 101, lines 37-21 — Transcript, file page 101, lines 37-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 37-51 — Transcript, file page 33, lines 37-51
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 35-35 — Transcript, file page 39, lines 35-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 23-17 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 23-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 21-15 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 21-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 68, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 68, lines 11-13
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Post Opinion ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Post Opinion ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.