Arlington Central School District Board of Education v. Murphy

Arlington Central School District Board of Education v. Murphy (2006) is the U.S. Supreme Court's first opinion construing a controversial provision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). At issue in Murphy was whether parents who prevailed in disputes with their school systems were entitled to reimbursement for costs associated with hiring expert witnesses and consultants who assisted them in litigation with their school boards over the educational placements of their children with disabilities.

The underlying dispute in Murphy involved parents of a student with disabilities who rejected a proposed individualized education program (IEP) for their son and requested a due process hearing. At the same time, the parents withdrew their son from his public school, unilaterally registering him in a private institution. After the ...