Student with Disabilities Wins Case Against Elk Grove Unified School District and Capitol Elementary School after Middle School Sexual Assault

July 30. 2026

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For Immediate Release
Jul 30, 2026

Media Contact
Nazirah Ahmad
[email protected]

SACRAMENTO — Equal Rights Advocates and Sidley Austin, LLP have settled a lawsuit against Elk Grove Unified School District and Capitol Elementary School for mishandling a sexual assault and harassment case involving a student with disabilities.

The student was a middle school student when the assault and harassment occurred. The settlement, for an undisclosed amount, was approved by the court on June 29.

“At a time when students’ rights are under attack, our client’s bravery shows that students and their families are still able to change their schools and school districts from the inside.”

– Maha Ibrahim, ERA Director of Gender Based Violence & Harassment Programs

Attorneys at Sidley Austin have been handling the case pro bono since 2021, arguing that school officials ignored the student’s reports of sexual assault and harassment. School district officials later argued they were justified in their unlawful response because special schools for children with disabilities do not have to follow Title IX requirements—which is entirely untrue. Officials also argued that they didn’t owe the student a required investigation because they did not believe her.

Equal Rights Advocates joined the case in 2024 to provide Title IX expertise.

“We are honored to have represented our client and inspired by the courage she demonstrated in pursuing accountability.”

– Adriane Peralta, Partner at Sidley Austin

“At a time when students’ rights are under attack, our client’s bravery shows that students and their families are still able to change their schools and school districts from the inside,” said Maha Ibrahim, Director of the Gender Based Violence and Harassment program at ERA. “When an educational institution ignores federal and state law and its own policies in responding to sexual misconduct, it doesn’t just fail one student. It puts the entire student body at risk.”

“We are honored to have represented our client and inspired by the courage she demonstrated in pursuing accountability,” said Adriane Peralta, Partner at Sidley Austin. “Working alongside Equal Rights Advocates, we were proud to help vindicate her rights and reinforce the principle that every student is entitled to a safe educational environment and the full protections of the law. This litigation, lasting five years, demonstrates Sidley’s longstanding commitment to pro bono work.”

The client, whose bravery will protect future students with disabilities from similar treatment, is now successfully enrolled in community college forensics classes with the intention of pursuing a career where she can help other sexual assault survivors.

The settlement underscores the critical importance of educational institutions properly handling reports of sexual misconduct to ensure all students have safe and equal access to education, even and especially our country’s most vulnerable student populations.

The client, whose bravery will protect future students with disabilities from similar treatment, is now successfully enrolled in community college forensics classes with the intention of pursuing a career where she can help other sexual assault survivors.

 

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About Equal Rights Advocates
Equal Rights Advocates fights for gender justice in workplaces and schools across the country. Since 1974, they have been fighting on the front lines of social justice to protect and advance rights and opportunities for women, girls, and people of all gender identities through groundbreaking legal cases and bold legislation that sets the stage for the rest of the nation.

About Sidley Austin, LLP
Sidley is an elite global law firm. With approximately 2,300 lawyers and 160 years of experience, we have established a reputation for deploying innovative legal strategies to achieve powerful results for our clients in complex transactional, restructuring, crisis management, investigation, regulatory, and litigation matters. Our perspective and reach are truly global, supported by 21 offices strategically situated in key commercial, regulatory, and financial centers across the world. Our lawyers and business professionals, fluent in more than 75 languages, possess the cultural awareness and cross-border legal acumen needed to bring clarity to a dynamic business landscape.