Atlanta Unfiltered

August 7, 2009 --

DeKalb County denied disabled students access to school facilities and services and then fired a teacher who complained about it, the teacher claims in a lawsuit filed this week in federal court.

Social studies teacher Gordon Rolle taught at Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Lithonia. He was fired in March 2009, he says, because he spoke out about discriminatory practices, including:

– “failure to provide textbooks, teaching assistants, technology, IEP and CEP updates,
testing for conditions such as autism, and other educational
services.”

– “repeated imposition of disciplinary action against disabled students without consideration
of and due to the students’ disabilities.”

– “limiting disabled students’ access to restrooms and other school facilities as well as
limiting their access to materials and services that were available to non-disabled students, such as denying disabled students access
to the school’s media center.”

– “refusing to
permit disabled students to attend (a) seminars and workshops
designed to improve academic performance, achievement of goals,
morale, and social skills, and (b) field trips and pep rallies, all
of which were made available to students without disabilities.”

– “denying disabled students access to counseling and other student
support services that were made available to students without
disabilities.”

– “making material misrepresentations concerning the status,
condition and progress of disabled students to the students’
parents and guardians.”

You can read the full suit, which seeks reinstatement, back pay and punitive damages, here.

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