Washington School Denies Autistic Boy’s Service Dog School Entry
NORTH FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Washington County family said they plan to sue their school district, alleging school leaders are breaking a federal law by banning their son’s certified service dog from the building.
Last week, 7-year-old Bradley Dallatore’s parents said the dog’s beneficial tug and training can help the autistic child.
But the superintendent of the school doesn’t want the dog in the classrooms, because some students are allergic or afraid.
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“He has no friends,” said Bradley’s mother, Linda Dallatore. “He doesn’t know how to make friends. He has no social skills whatsoever.”
Bradley’s Labrador Retriever, Jiffy, is banned from Trinity West Elementary in North Franklin Township.
Dallatore said she tries to take the dog into the school lobby at 1 p.m. everyday to pick up her son, but she is always told he cannot enter the school.
Now, the family is filing a complaint with the state Department of Education.
“This animal is on the same playing field as a seeing eye dog,” said Bradley’s father, Robert Dallatore.
Superintendent Thomas Turnbaugh told WTAE Channel 4 Action News that he “would not allow a guide dog inside the building either” and instead would “bring another child to assist a blind child around the school.”
But WTAE Channel 4 confirmed through the Washington County Blind Association that Trinity West has accepted their invites in the past to allow guide dogs in a classroom setting for a one-hour educational lesson.
“We have been discriminated against just because my son’s autistic,” said Linda Dallatore.
The American Disabilities Act states that “the federal and state laws protect the right of individuals with disabilities to be accompanied by their personal trained service animals … in any place of public accommodation.”
And Trinity West is a public school.
Turnbaugh said he wants to reach a compromise with the family. The family said they do not want to compromise by leaving the dog outside of the school.
There’s a school board meeting scheduled for Thursday night on the situation.
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Comment from on Call 24/7
Time: April 13, 2008, 10:29 am
This really gets me when people use the fear and allergy factour to deny people with disabilities their civil rights to be accompanied by their trained service animal!
Another story not long ago did the same thing with this teen deaf boy! He wanted to bring his Hearing dog with him to school but the school board refused him that. Claiming he doesn’t need his hearing dog there as other people could help him. Hmmm! I do not know about you but I wouldn’t want a human to come into the bathroom with me to help me in my needs. I would prefer my service dog as they are properly trained to brace, alert, etc.
So where is the individuals Independence??? We loose it!
Nevertheless in the business brief 2002 that the department of justice written it states that one cannot deny a person with a disability to be accompanied by their service animal due to ones fear or allergies!
Yes this boy is only 7 years old and may not understand the responsibility but that is why the mother brings his service dog to school as she is his guardian. They did not have an issue until somebody (most likely in conversation) brought up the fear and allergy factour. Then OH NO SORRY! You CANNOT have this SERVICE DOG in school. It’s not a Private School in which there are exceptions to (private) it’s a public school henceforth suppose to abide but the federal laws and the state laws. What are they teaching in that school anyway. How one could violate laws if they want too. Isn’t that interesting!!!!!