The Guam Legal Services Corporation – Disability Law Center is disputing the Guam Department of Education's characterization of a federal court ruling in a lawsuit over elevator access at Southern High School, saying GDOE's press release omits key facts.
GLSC-DLC, which represented the two plaintiffs, said that prior to the April 2025 lawsuit, Southern High School had at least five elevators, none of which had worked for more than four years. The organization says GDOE only began procuring elevator repairs after the lawsuit was filed.
The advocacy group also noted that when school reopened Aug. 8, 2025, the repaired elevator was still not operational and was only permitted to run under a conditional permit set to expire Sept. 30, 2025, pending further inspection due to identified deficiencies.
GLSC-DLC credited federal court oversight for ultimately achieving a non-conditional operating permit on or after Feb. 17, 2026, and argued the two wheelchair-using students — both diagnosed with cerebral palsy — gained meaningful second-floor access as a result of the litigation.
"The two students with disabilities are the real heroes in this case," the organization said, calling on the public to recognize the students' courage and persistence rather than GDOE's legal victory.
The federal court dismissed the case June 3 on procedural grounds, including mootness following one plaintiff's graduation.