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Legal fees for taxpayers mount in Sherrard service dog dispute

A local school district is headed to court again over a dispute involving a nine year old student and her service dog. Colin and Brandi McGuire sued over concer...

A local school district is headed to court again over a dispute involving a nine year old student and her service dog.

Colin and Brandi McGuire sued over concerns the way the Sherrard School District was treating their epileptic daughter Kelsey McGuire and her service dog Jasper, under the Individuals with Disabilities Act.

The district lost the case in December after a State Board of Education hearing officer ruled in favor of the little girl and her parents, ruling the district showed "unreasonableness and indifference" in the case, and created a "hostile environment" for Kelsey and Jasper.

The District is now appealing the case, which the McGuires say is a big waste of time and money.

"It's a huge waste of taxpayer dollars, you're talking they've spent 100 thousand dollars so far, another 100 thousand dollars when this is all said and done? For what?" Brandi McGuire said in an interview with WQAD.

McGuire says she and her husband have spent $60,000 on their legal fees alone. She believes the district will have to pay those attorney fees when all is said and done.

She says the district is not in compliance of federal law and should fix the problem and be more transparent.

"They go into closed session. Their appeal is not in an open forum", she said.

District Superintendent Samuel Light did not return a phone call from WQAD for an interview request, but told local radio station, WRMJ ,that he believes the state hearing officer erred in his decision, and that the district did nothing wrong.

"They are attacking the integrity of the hearing officer is what they're doing. I'm not quite sure why he keeps saying they did not break the law. I don't know if he still doesn't  understand that not allowing a service animal is breaking the law," McGuire said.

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