A division of the U.S. Department of Education is investigating a California university on charges of age and disability discrimination. This comes after allegations that a master’s degree student was forced out of her program by a pattern of bias that caused her to fail exams.
The alleged victim of the bias stated that other students in her former cohort had lower grade point averages and got competitive jobs that are well-paid. She appealed to the university for six months before filing a civil rights discrimination claim with the federal department.
A representative with the department declined offers of mediation to solve the dispute or otherwise negotiate with the former student or her representatives. Meanwhile, “the narrow window of time for me to work in my chosen field diminishes with each passing week,” according to a statement by the former student.
The woman suffers from a disorder of the immune system that may present with joint aches, dry mouth and foggy cognitive abilities. The exam that caused her expulsion was administered after a traffic accident that left her particularly harried.
The expulsion letter mentioned poor professional behavior on the former student’s part, but she responded that the university’s instructor did not adhere to guidelines that allowed her extra help.
People with disabilities and other requirements for accommodation have the right to work and pursue work for which they are otherwise qualified. An attorney may help victims of disability discrimination gather evidence of unfair treatment, patterns of bias, violations of federal or state disability law or other forms of discrimination.
Source: Marin Independent Journal, “San Rafael’s Dominican University under federal bias probe,” Keri Brenner, Feb. 05, 2018