NYC Officials Demand Accountability as DOE Lacks Special Needs Services

On Thursday, October 24th, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis, joined by a bipartisan group of local officials, called on the United States Department of Education to hold the New York City Department of Education (DOE) accountable for failing to provide mandated services to special needs students in private schools. This demand for federal oversight follows growing concerns among parents and students affected by service cuts tied to new DOE policies.

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), school districts receiving federal funding are required to support students with disabilities. However, students with developmental disabilities in non-public schools who rely on the Individualized Education Program Services (IEPs) for necessary accommodations have been left without support this school year. Sienna Sheen, a fifth-grader at Saint Joseph Hill Academy who is deaf and relies on a cochlear implant, lost access to a listening device essential to her classroom participation. Her mother, Marisa Jones, stated that Sienna is effectively denied her right to an education without this support.

Congresswoman Malliotakis condemned the situation as “unconscionable,” adding, “If another kid in the classroom were to walk up to her and snatch her device, you’d call it bullying. That’s exactly what the City of New York, our own government, is doing. The city needs to stop playing games with children’s education and immediately reinstate these essential accommodations that they are legally required to provide under both state and federal laws immediately to prevent further learning loss by disabled students.”

Local officials expressed similar concerns and emphasized the urgency for corrective action. Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo stated, “NYC Public Schools knows our students need and are entitled to these critical services, yet the City recklessly deprives them of these services. They must be restored immediately.”

“This is unacceptable. These are mandated services that private school children, like public school children, are entitled to from the DOE. These children have been without their required services for almost two months. DOE needs to find the solution and provide the services needed to these children immediately,” said Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella.

Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon emphasized the financial burden on families, saying “This is an injustice that must be made right immediately and I proudly join my colleagues in government to demand the swift return of these accommodations to our borough’s students before even more of this school year is squandered and lost.”

The DOE has yet to respond to calls for accountability, leaving families uncertain as students continue to face setbacks without necessary resources and educational support.