This article analyzes the zero-reject policy at the core of American special education law from the standpoint of morality, by examining the policy in terms of the following three moral theories: utilitarianism, Rawlsian Kantianism (justice as fairness) and neo-Aristotelianism, as developed recently by Martha Nussbaum in her capabilities account of social justice. Although on first impression, none of these theories seems to provide a framework within which to develop a plausible defense of the zero-reject policy, on deeper analysis there are plausible arguments in support of the policy from the perspectives of all three theories. The analysis supporting this conclusion leads to an enhanced appreciation of the conceptual resources that major philosophical theories of morality provide to understand the moral bases of the most important educational rights, under American special education law, of children with severe to profound physical and cognitive disabilities. (Contains 6 notes.)