In a landmark decision, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that students with disabilities no longer need to prove “bad faith” or “gross misjudgment” to pursue legal action against schools under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Instead, plaintiffs can now bring cases forward by showing that schools acted with “deliberate indifference” — a lower legal threshold that aligns with how ADA cases are handled in most other contexts.

The ruling arose from a case involving Ava Tharpe, a high school student with epilepsy, whose school district refused to provide nighttime instruction as a reasonable accommodation for her condition. Her legal team argued that the school’s refusal severely hindered her educational access, while the district claimed it had met its obligations.

The Court sided with Ava, stating that requiring proof of “bad faith” placed an unfair burden on students and their families. The decision now opens doors for families across the U.S. who have struggled to challenge inadequate support or rejected accommodation requests.

Why This Matters

This is a powerful step toward greater equity in education. For decades, families of students with disabilities have faced steep legal challenges just to have their concerns heard. The previous high standard meant many cases never even made it to court. With this change, more families may finally get a fair chance to advocate for their children.

It also signals that schools will be held to higher standards when it comes to fulfilling their obligations under the ADA. No longer can institutions simply point to a superficial effort or half-measure and expect immunity from legal scrutiny. Real, thoughtful engagement with each student’s unique needs is now a legal expectation—not just a moral one.

Potential Challenges

However, the decision also raises complex questions about balance. While it will rightfully empower many, there is also a risk that schools—particularly those with limited resources—could face a flood of lawsuits, even in cases where accommodations were made in good faith but didn’t fully meet a student’s expectations.

As a person with a disability myself, I know that accommodations are not always one-size-fits-all. What helps one person may be inadequate for another. But does this ruling risk penalizing schools that make sincere but imperfect attempts to support students?

My Thoughts

As someone living with a disability, I believe this Supreme Court decision is an important and long-overdue win for students and families who have been overlooked for far too long. The legal system needs to reflect the reality that many of us face: our needs are real, and delays or dismissals can have serious consequences.

That said, I also think long-term about how we make this system sustainable and fair. Not every situation is black and white. Sometimes schools do try — they make an effort, and the solution just doesn’t work out. I think we need space in this conversation for those situations, too. We need to protect students without making schools afraid to act, especially when they’re trying in good faith.

Question to Consider

While I fully support the outcome of this specific case and what it represents for disability rights, I also think about the system more broadly. As someone with a disability, I wonder: How do we build a system that protects students without punishing schools that try to help in good faith — even if their accommodations aren’t perfect? What kinds of checks and balances could help ensure that genuine efforts aren’t mistaken for neglect? This isn’t about the case itself, but a wider conversation I hope we can have within disability advocacy.

📚 Sources

    1.    Associated Press – Supreme Court win for girl with epilepsy expected to make disability lawsuits against schools easier (https://apnews.com/article/56f67cf12f1f9c4a7ebdf5b52d6d77d7)     2.    Washington Post – Supreme Court makes it easier to sue schools over disability accommodations (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/06/12/schools-disability-accommodations-supreme-court-decision/)     3.    SCOTUSblog – High court lowers bar for disability claims under ADA in education (https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/06/high-court-lowers-bar-for-disability-claims-under-ada-in-education/)