Answer to Certified Question. The Second Circuit had certified a question to the New York State Court of Appeal. The question, as modified by the Court of Appeals asked whether, under New York law, a non-custodial parent retains decision-making authority pertaining to the education of his child where (1) the custodial parent is granted exclusive custody of the child and (2) the divorce decree is silent as to the right to control such decisions. The District Court had dismissed the action, holding that the non-custodial parent lacked standing to challenge decisions made as to the special education of his child. The New York State Court of Appeals answered the question in the negative, and the Second Circuit affirmed the decision of the District Court.

The decision in Fuentes v. Board of Education of the City of New York can be found here.