Education advocate back in Chesterfield court
Jeremy M. Lazarus | 8/26/2016, 6:56 a.m.
Education advocate Kandise Lucas is once again headed back to Chesterfield County General District Court to face a charge of trespassing on school property — just two weeks after Chesterfield Schools Superintendent James F. Lane promised to lift a ban against her under an agreement with the federal government.
Ms. Lucas is scheduled to appear in court Monday, Aug. 29, on a case that initially was put on hold by the Chesterfield Com- monwealth’s Attorney’s Office, but revived. She was acquitted of trespassing in two previous cases.
The new case stems from Ms. Lucas’ arrest June 10 at Ecoff Elementary School in Chester. She was arrested when she showed up at a parent’s request to participate in the development of an Individualized Education Program for a disabled student.
Federal law allows parents to request an advocate to assist them in an IEP meeting.
In a meeting Aug. 8, Dr. Lane told Ms. Lucas and two represen- tatives of the NAACP that he was “committed” to lifting the ban on Ms. Lucas as part of an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights to resolve her complaint.
She had alleged that the county school system had violated federal law in failing to allow parents to use her as an advocate during IEP meetings.
Under the agreement, the school system pledged to lift the trespassing ban before the start of the school year.
