What Clients Are Saying

 

“Being the parent of a special needs son, my husband and I tried endlessly for our school district to comply with his Individualized Education Program (IEP). After numerous attempts and getting nowhere, we hired Nicholle Mineiro and her team. What a difference that made! Once we had representation, we were able to sit down with the district and finally get the school services our son deserves. Nicholle explained our rights along the way and was able to hold the school district accountable. I will never go into another meeting without her- she is amazing! My only regret is that I didn’t find her sooner. Thank you Nicholle for fighting for our special needs kiddo’s!”

— Client

“Nicholle provided outstanding legal counsel for me when working with the Seattle School District to get an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for one of my sons who has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She is very knowledgeable regarding ASD as well as how the Seattle School District and state system works and helped me navigate a very frustrating process to get my son an IEP.”

-Client

Representative cases and settlements

  • Ninth Circuit decision on residential placement

    Served as co-counsel for district court and circuit court appeal upholding the rights of students with profound mental health disabilities to receive FAPE in residential treatment centers. Edmonds School District v. A.T., No. 17-35985 (9th Cir. 2019); 299 F.Supp. 3d 1135 (W.D. WA 2017).

  • Due process win

    Won due process case involving the Lake Washington School District’s failure to provide appropriate behavioral, therapeutic and communication services and placement to non-verbal young adult with autism. Obtained residential placement for students on the autism spectrum and services worth more than $450,000 per year.

  • Due process win

    Won due process case involving the Shoreline School District’s failure to address student’s behavioral and mental health needs in an IEP, and failure to provide Prior Written Notices to the parents. Obtained reimbursement for nonpublic agency classes and compensatory education.

  • Department of Justice civil rights investigation

    Represented pro bono clients in obtaining a DOJ settlement against the Federal Way School District for systemic failure to address religious and national-origin based discrimination and harassment. Link to press release and settlement agreement.

  • OSPI Complaint

    Brought an OSPI Complaint against the Tacoma School District for failure to provide access to education for students with disabilities during the Covid pandemic, and laying off hundreds of paraeducators on whom special education students depend. Obtained compensatory education for multiple families. Link to story here.

  • School Discipline

    Obtained reduction in disciplinary charges and expungement of school record, a special education evaluation, and private special education placement after school district failure to recognize and address student’s disability.

  • Due Process Settlement

    Obtained in-home Applied Behavior Analysis services for student with autism in settlement of due process complaint for school district failure to provide appropriate education during the Covid school shutdown.

  • Due Process Settlement

    Obtained compensatory education in due process settlement for school district failure to evaluate and appropriately educate student with severe learning disability. The settlement enabled student to attend specialty school designed for students with learning disabilities, and rise from functional illiteracy to receiving a college prep education.

  • Due Process Settlement

    Obtained due process settlement for school district’s removal of a student with Down Syndrome’s 1:1 aide outside the IEP process, where student depended on the aide to participate in general education classes and be included with non-disabled peers.

  • The handling and outcome of any case depends on the unique factors of that case , and results cannot be guaranteed or predicted. Past results do not guarantee future case outcome for any individual matter. This is not an exhaustive list of case results and is intended to provide a description.