Barajas & Rivera, APC

10/10/2025

On Thursday, Maronel Barajas, partner at Barajas & Rivera, along with Andrea Smith of , spoke to a group of parents of students with autism in Orange, California about their rights and schools’ obligations under special education laws. Our hope is that by providing parents with information and resources, they with feel empowered to advocate for themselves, their children, and their community.

10/09/2025

Celebrating a win! 🎉 On October 3, 2025 U.S. District Court Judge Jesus G. Bernal awarded over $5.3 million in attorneys’ fees to a coalition of civil rights law firms and nonprofit organizations for our successful representation of C.B., a then 10-year-old Black student subjected to repeated violent handcuffing, detentions, and removals at his middle school based upon his disabilities.

Recognizing Plaintiff’s counsel for their “great skill” and achieving “outstanding results,” Judge Bernal’s order follows five years of litigation against Moreno Valley USD and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department that resulted in nearly $2 million in settlements to C.B., a permanent injunction mandating district-wide reforms, and a precedent-setting order enforcing the rights of disabled students under the ADA and Section 504.

Fee awards aren’t just about recovering attorneys’ fees - they’re about sustaining the work of defending civil rights and holding institutions accountable.

Barajas & Rivera APC is co-counsel with Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP, and

07/26/2024

34 years ago today, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. The ADA was passed to ensure people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. We are honored to work alongside the disability community to make real the promise of the ADA.

07/03/2024

Celebrating a win! 🎉 On June 28, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Jesus G. Bernal issued an historic permanent injunction ordering Moreno Valley USD to make extensive district-wide changes to reduce its reliance on school police and security officers when responding to students with disabilities including overhauling policies, training of staff, and collection of data. A court appointed independent monitor will oversee the reforms over a 4-year term.

Data shows that rather than promote safety, the presence of school police contributes to the criminalization of students resulting in them being punished, isolated, and pushed out of school. This order puts other school districts on notice that they cannot rely on untrained school police to address disability-related behavior.

In 2019, our client, C.B., a then 10-year-old Black student with disabilities, was repeatedly handcuffed at school for exhibiting disability-related behaviors. During that same school year, the school district’s own data revealed that Black disabled students were 3.63 times more likely to be referred to law enforcement than their non-disabled peers.

Barajas & Rivera APC is co-counsel with Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP, and ⚖️📚

06/10/2024

Barajas & Rivera filed a stay put motion to keep a first grader at his school after the school district unjustly revoked his interdistrict transfer permit based on suspected disability-related behaviors.

Today, we’re thrilled to announce the court agreed and found that our client was entitled to remain at his school pending the results of an administrative hearing. 🎉📚

05/22/2024

Barajas & Rivera APC proudly represented a student with juvenile arthritis who faced unjust barriers to her graduation. Despite completing her work with the accommodation of extra time, school administrators threatened to exclude her from the ceremony.

We stepped in, highlighting that this exclusion would be disability discrimination.

Today, we’re thrilled to announce our client will walk in her graduation! Thanks to our dedicated team, she’s rightly celebrating this milestone with her peers. 
Congratulations! 🎉👩🏽‍🎓

12/15/2023

A local story highlighting our case and the potential positive impact for students.

"Federal judge orders Moreno Valley Unified School District to change its policing policy after violating American With Disabilities Act. This could be the first such ruling in the nation and could eventually change the state of policing in schools across the country. Read more to find out why. ...

12/01/2023

In 2019, C.B., a then 11-year old Black disabled student, was handcuffed and restrained multiple times at school for exhibiting disablity-related behavior. Now, after Barajas & Rivera APC, alongside Disability Rights California, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), and the law firm Hadsell Stormer Renick & Dai LLP, filed a lawsuit on C.B.'s behalf, U.S. Federal District Court Judge Jesus G. Bernal has found that Moreno Valley USD's school police program discriminates against disabled students in violation of federal disablity rights laws. Hear Anna Rivera, partner at Barajas & Rivera APC, talk with CBSLA/KCAL9 about the case.

A federal court ruling involving a controversial arrest within Moreno Valley Unified School District could lead to big changes in school policies nationwide. Ross Palombo reports.

10/25/2023

Celebrating a win! 🎉
On October 13, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Jesus G. Bernal found that Moreno Valley USD's school police program discriminates against disabled students in violation of federal disability rights laws.

In 2019, our client, C.B., a then 10-year-old Black student with disabilities, was repeatedly handcuffed at school for exhibiting disability-related behaviors. During that same school year, the school district's own data reveals that Black disabled students were 3.63 times more likely to be referred to law enforcement than their non-disabled peers.

Recognizing that "discrimination against students with disabilities is a serious and pervasive issue in our education system," Judge Bernal's ruling holds the district accountable for its' systemic discrimination against both our client and the thousands of other disabled students in its care. The Court has ordered Plaintiff and Moreno Valley USD to work together on how to bring the district into compliance with federal disability rights laws. ⚖️📚

10/24/2023

Although IEPs must be reviewed every year, parents can request an IEP team meeting at any time to discuss concerns like - lack of progress, behavior concerns, or a child's refusal to attend school. The meeting must be held within 30 days of a written request. If you need assistance advocating at an IEP meeting, contact us.

05/09/2023

📢 CALL FOR STORIES

Have you tried to make a hotel reservation for an accessible room online and had to take extra steps to ensure you get what you need? If so, please complete our survey by June 30.

Survey link: https://forms.gle/fg3REajZo6nbU7ZB7