A student at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Mont., Hannah Valdez, tried to take two math courses but dropped them last year. She asked her college to let her substitute the courses but it wouldn’t allow the substitution. And so she’s suing the school.
According to an article in USA Today:
The student… claims the school did not comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act. The lawsuit was recently transferred from the state court to the U.S. District Court.
Valdez, who aspires to be a graphic designer, juggles a variety of conditions including Asperger’s, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, ADHD and dyscalculia — a mathematics learning disability.
Well with troubles like these, Valdez is going to have a lot of trouble trying to build a career as a graphic designer, even if she eventually manages to graduate from college.
The school says that it will help her, but it won’t just waive the requirements. The Rocky Mountain’s lawyer says the institution “offered Valdez extended time to take tests, permission to record lectures, free tutoring and assistance in note taking.”
The accuracy of all of this is sort of unclear but extended time, free tutoring and note taking assistance is basically what the Americans With Disabilities Act is all about. Just allowing students to skip classes? Not so much.
