Learning Care Group Settles ADA Violation Allegations

Learning Care Group, Inc. (LCG), a major national daycare provider, has settled allegations of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by agreeing to pay a $50,000 civil penalty to the United States and $12,000 in compensatory damages to an individual complainant. The settlement also includes LCG's commitment to undertake additional remedial actions.

The allegations stemmed from a complaint that La Petite Academy-Taylor Road, a school operated by LCG in Chesapeake, Virginia, refused to enroll a child in its afterschool program due to the child's mobility disability and use of a wheelchair. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia initiated an investigation following the complaint.

The U. S. Department of Justice's Fair Housing Testing Program played a crucial role in the investigation, employing individuals to gather information by making inquiries at La Petite Academy-Taylor Road.

This testing was part of the coordinated efforts by the U. S. Attorney's Office and the Department of Justice’s Fair Housing Testing Program and Disability Rights Section.

According to the allegations, LCG, through La Petite Academy-Taylor Road, discriminated against the complainant and the child by denying the child the opportunity to participate in and benefit from the academy's services due to the child's need for a wheelchair.

LCG operates a vast network of more than 1,150 schools across the nation under various brands, including La Petite Academy, Childtime, Tutor Time, The Children's Courtyard, Everbrook Academy, Montessori Unlimited, AppleTree & Gilden Woods, U-GRO, Creative Kids Learning Center, Young School, and Pathways Learning Academy.

The resolution of this matter underscores the commitment of the U. S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Department of Justice to enforce the ADA and ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to public accommodations.

The investigation was led by Assistant U. S. Attorney David Tannenbaum.

For more information on the ADA and related inquiries, individuals and businesses can visit www.ada.gov or contact the Department of Justice’s ADA Information Line.