Office for Civil Rights Enters into Resolution Agreement with the School District of Phillips (WI) to Review IEP Services and Field Trip Exclusion
OCR raises concerns about IEP implementation, service documentation, and field trip exclusion based on grades.
May 15, 2026, U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a letter to the School District of Phillips in Wisconsin, after investigating a complaint filed on behalf of a student who has a disability.
OCR styled the complaint as OCR Case No. 05-26-1394 and investigated the following allegation:
“[T]hat the District discriminated against a student (Student A) on the basis of disability when it failed to implement provisions of his Individualized Education Program (IEP) during the 2025-2026 school year and excluded him from a field trip.”
Before OCR completed its investigation, the district expressed interest in resolving the complaint. The resolution agreement is dated May 12, 2026. However, OCR’s May 15 letter states that the district signed the agreement May 13, 2026.
OCR didn’t make a final violation finding. Instead, it stated that its investigation had “identified issues that can be addressed through a resolution agreement.” OCR also stated it had concerns that the student’s IEP may not have been fully implemented and that the district may not have considered whether reasonable modifications were needed to avoid disability discrimination.
