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“If you use the discipline process, and you’re a student with a disability, your rights kick in,” said Selene Almazan, legal director for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates.

Times staff writer Selene Rivera contributed to this column.

Schools also have a legal obligation to identify and evaluate students with disabilities, said Selene Almazan, legal director for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates.

Pela Selene Terry, Atlantic Street Center’s executive director, said extending guidance and resources to families can reduce the financial and emotional toll that hampers new caregivers going through the adoption process.

Selene Castillo, 30, a certified nursing assistant at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Long Beach, was “in disbelief” when she heard the City Council chose to move forward with the ordinance.