Which federal law ensures that students with disabilities are not discriminated against in public schools?

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is the federal law that specifically addresses discrimination against students with disabilities in public schools. This law prohibits any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance from discriminating against individuals based on their disability. Under Section 504, schools must provide accommodations to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to education and school activities. This includes ensuring that their educational needs are met as adequately as those of students without disabilities.

In context, while the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act focuses on providing individualized education programs (IEPs) for children with disabilities, and the Americans with Disabilities Act extends civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities in various settings (including schools), Section 504 is particularly clear in its anti-discrimination mandate within educational settings. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, on the other hand, deals primarily with student privacy and the confidentiality of education records, rather than specifically addressing discrimination. Thus, Section 504 is the most directly relevant law for ensuring that public schools do not discriminate against students with disabilities.