The Justice Department announced today that it and the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania have reached a settlement with the Milton Hershey School of Hershey, Pa., to remedy alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The agreement resolves allegations that the school violated the ADA by refusing to consider a child, known by the pseudonym Abraham Smith, for enrollment due to the fact that he has HIV.
Under the settlement agreement, the School is required to pay $700,000 to Abraham Smith and his mother, to adopt and enforce a policy prohibiting discrimination and requiring equal opportunity for students with disabilities, including those with HIV, in the School’s programs and services, and to provide training to staff and administrators on the requirements of the ADA. The School must also pay a $15,000 civil penalty to the United States.
People interested in finding out more about the ADA and the Department’s settlement agreement with the Milton Hershey School can access the ADA website at http://www.ada.gov/ or call the toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TTY).
Wow. I thought that we were long past this sort of institutionalized discrimination against people with AIDS. And against a child...wow. I'm glad that a settlement was reached, but even more glad that the school will be required to adopt anti-discrimination policies for students with AIDS. That's long overdue.
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