The Bedford County School Board filed a lawsuit seeking $600,000 in damages from the father of a special needs student, claiming the man鈥檚 abrasive communications with school staff about his son鈥檚 treatment over the last three years amounts to illegal intimidation and harassment.
In court filings, Bedford resident David Rife insists he鈥檚 the one being intimidated, noting that the county school board sued him shortly after he filed a complaint with the Virginia Department of Education saying local school officials weren鈥檛 following the individualized education program, or IEP, designed to accommodate his son鈥檚 learning disability and improve his reading skills. When he filed the complaint, Rife told state officials he feared he would face retaliation locally, according to court documents.
The school board filed its lawsuit against Rife on March 26, roughly a month after Rife sent his complaint to state education officials.
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