A group of Texas parents of children with disabilities says school districts there are using a new tactic to retaliate against parents who grumble: the districts are filing truancy charges against students and parents in an effort to push them out.

Under state law, districts can file truancy charges when students are absent 10 days within six months or three days within four weeks. However parents and advocates believe that special needs should be taken into account before filing charges.

The students involved were absent for reasons related to disability or medical need. Their parents all had disagreements with their school districts about the students’ individualized education plans (IEPs), advocates say.

Some parents withdrew their children from the school districts when threatened with truancy charges. In other cases, parents and students have been found guilty of the charges, leading to required counseling and drug testing.

School district representatives say they take circumstances into account and try to work with families before filing truancy charges, reports the Dallas Morning News. To read more click here.

Read more stories like this one. Sign up for Disability Scoop's free email newsletter to get the latest developmental disability news sent straight to your inbox.