A federal judge in New Orleans on March 17, 2026, dismissed a closely watched lawsuit from the parents of a nine-year-old who argued that The Willow School's entrance exam shuts out students with disabilities. The ruling denied the family's push for an emergency order forcing the school to change its practices and knocked out key federal claims. The suit, filed by Chris and Cristina Edmunds on behalf of their son, sought money damages and a court order either blocking Willow from using the Iowa Assessment as an admissions filter or requiring the school to waive the test for their child.
Judge's ruling
In a detailed opinion, U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion granted Willow's request to dismiss the family's claim under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and turned down their bid for a preliminary injunction, according to Justia. The judge allowed the Americans with Disabilities Act claim to be dismissed without prejudice, giving the Edmunds a narrow window to file an amended complaint. Their state-law claims were also dismissed without prejudice, leaving the door open for a possible refiling in another court.
Why the court sided with Willow
The opinion concluded that Willow's use of the Iowa Assessment qualifies as a permissible academic-eligibility tool for a selective public school and noted that the exam "is not regarded as an IQ test" but instead measures academic knowledge rather than innate intelligence. Judge Papillion wrote that selective charter schools may use tests to screen applicants and that forcing an automatic waiver of the Iowa Assessment for the Edmunds' son would likely go beyond what federal law requires as a reasonable accommodation, according to GovInfo.
Willow's policy and response
Willow describes its admissions "matrix" as a combination of reading and math scores from the Iowa Assessment, grade point average, and an arts-interest profile meant to identify students who are prepared for its academically rigorous program. The school says it offers testing accommodations for applicants with documented needs, according to Willow School. In a statement to NOLA.com, a Willow spokesperson said the school "remains focused on providing a high-quality, supportive learning environment for its students and families."
The family's argument and next steps
The Edmunds argued their son, identified in court filings as O.E. and described as nonverbal with the cognitive functioning of a one- to two-year-old, could not meaningfully sit for the Iowa Assessment at all. The record shows he took the test on Willow's middle school campus over two days in mid February 2025 and did not reach the score Willow requires for admission, according to GovInfo. The parents sought both monetary and injunctive relief and, after the dismissal, told NOLA.com they plan to appeal, calling the ruling "the first time that any federal court in the country has ever allowed a public school to exclude students with intellectual disabilities."
Local context
The opinion situates the dispute in New Orleans' hybrid, charter-heavy school system, where a centralized NOLA-PS enrollment process routes families into a mix of open-enrollment and selective schools and can influence which students land where, according to the district's enrollment guidance. That system sits on top of long-running scrutiny of special education access in Louisiana, including federal oversight and litigation that have reshaped services statewide, as documented by Education Week and local enrollment materials.
Legal implications
Functionally, the order resolves the IDEA claim with prejudice while giving the Edmunds a limited chance to revise their ADA claim and pursue state-law theories in another forum, which means Willow's current admissions practices stay in place for now, according to Justia. If the family files an amended federal complaint or refiles state claims, the litigation could continue; if they do not, the dismissal will stand and Willow's testing requirement will remain part of its eligibility process.
For families trying to navigate New Orleans' competitive school scene, the ruling leaves open the thorny question of how selective campuses should balance mission, fairness, and access for students with significant disabilities. With the Edmunds signaling an appeal, the fight over where children with severe disabilities fit in the city's choice-based system is unlikely to fade any time soon.
