A Louisiana family is taking legal action against a child development center, alleging discrimination against their autistic son. On December 3, 2025, Joharie Walker and Keywane Baltimore Jr. filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana against Regina Coeli Child Development Center. The plaintiffs claim that the center unlawfully restricted their son K.B.’s attendance due to his autism diagnosis.
The lawsuit revolves around allegations that Regina Coeli Child Development Center violated several laws by limiting K.B., a three-year-old diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), to only two hours of school per day. This restriction came after the parents provided the center with medical documentation confirming K.B.’s condition and recommendations for accommodations to support his learning needs. According to the complaint, this decision deprived K.B. of equal educational opportunities and access to a “language-rich” environment crucial for his development.
Walker and Baltimore assert that the center’s actions contravene Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Louisiana’s state law under the Louisiana Commission on Human Rights (LCHR). They argue that K.B.’s exclusion was based solely on his disability and not on any legitimate safety concerns as claimed by the center’s Director of Center Compliance, Shaniqua Edwards. The plaintiffs highlight that no evidence suggested K.B. posed a threat to himself or others.
In response to these alleged violations, Walker sent an email protesting her son’s exclusion from full-time participation at Pearl River Head Start, part of Regina Coeli Child Development Center. Despite this communication, Ms. Edwards maintained that K.B.’s limited schedule was necessary for health and safety reasons—a justification disputed by Walker and Baltimore as irrelevant and unfounded.
The plaintiffs are seeking multiple forms of relief from the court. They request injunctive relief to allow K.B. full-time attendance at Pearl River Head Start, alongside policy changes within the defendant organization regarding disability accommodations. Additionally, they seek compensatory damages for reduced educational opportunities and emotional distress caused by their son’s exclusion, as well as nominal damages intended to prompt broader societal change regarding disability rights in educational settings.
Representing Walker and Baltimore are attorneys from Bizer & DeReus LLC—Andrew D. Bizer, Garret S. DeReus, Eva M. Kalikoff—and Chris Edmunds from Chris Edmunds Law Office. The case has been assigned Case ID 2:25-cv-02428 in front of an unspecified judge.
Source: 225cv02428_Johaire_Walker_v_Regina_Coeli_Complaint_Eastern_District_of_Louisiana.pdf
