Supreme Court rules in favor of former Sturgis student

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday in favor of a 27-year-old Michigan man seeking compensatory damages from Sturgis Public Schools for not providing an appropriate education.

The decision, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, allows Miguel Luna Perez to move forward with his claim in federal court after lower courts had ruled against him.

Luna Perez claimed he was denied qualified interpreters for 12 years. His family said Sturgis assigned him an assistant who didn’t know sign language herself and claimed the schools inflated his grades such that his Spanish-speaking parents believed he was progressing when he wasn’t.

In his final year, his initial claim said, he couldn’t read or write despite having been an honor-roll student for years.

Sturgis Public Schools Superintendent Art Ebert, who joined the district after Luna Perez had left to attend Michigan School for the Deaf in 2016, responded to the decision, and said he is a firm believer that every experience provides the opportunity to learn and grow.

Ebert did not directly address any of the claims made by Luna Perez.