Has the High School violated my son's rights

[xylene]

There is nothing wrong with getting your college education through a sports scholarship. Not everybody is cut out to be the perfect student and the perfect athlete and sometimes decisions need to be made (as in your family) as to what is most beneficial for a developing child, student and person. It sounds as though you've weighed these considerations carefully and it's time to fight for what is right for your son.

You need to bone up on what the NCAA actually requires.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

It is not fair to your son, to burden him with the stress associated with the requirements of being on a pro sports team. The burden to perform, coupled with the daily demands of aggressive coaches, will surely overwhelm him, if he cannot handle a few high school classes.

 

[I'mTheFather]

Try reading for comprehension next time. OP was forced to enroll him in the AP classes by the school until she obtained a doctor's note.

Reading comprehension, you say? You must be reading between the lines. No where did OP say she was forced to enroll her son in AP classes.


Try again.

 

[tlawson]

I see everyone's point I do and I understand where you all are coming from. But until the administration gets an MD behind there name they can't judge my son's physical ability. He has the GPA and meets the eligibility requirements to play sports. The school is only eliminating him from sports, not honors classes or extra activities. He did sign up for the courses last school year and tried to change them before school started. At this point it's a mute point. Kids are allowed to drop and add classes in public school.

Again thanks for ALL the input!

 

[ecmst12]

A doctor's note is not a magic wand to allow you to ignore school policies.

 

[LdiJ]

A doctor's note is not a magic wand to allow you to ignore school policies.

While I agree that its not, this is the first time in my life that I have ever heard of a school district refusing to allow a parent to remove their child from AP classes, for whatever darned reason the parent decides. A parent having to get a doctor's note to do so makes absolutely no sense to me at all. It also sounds to me like they retaliated on the sports.

The problem is however, that if the coach is on board with the retaliation (or doesn't want to lose his job), a judge cannot force the coach to actually allow the boy to play. He can be forced to allow him to practice, forced to keep him on the roster, but not actually forced to put him into the game.

I really think this stinks, and if I had money to burn I would pursue the lawsuit just to force the school district to change their policies about AP classes, so another child would have to go through something like that.

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

The doctor apparently certified the students physical condition and stress response. The school apparently reacted by removing the child from athletics, to avoid a potential psychological stress reaction, which could result in a potentially dangerous reaction toward other students. I suggest the "smart" parent who is friends with the doctor, now start taking the child to a psychologist to receive more medical opinions the child will not be a danger to fellow team mates.

 

[ecmst12]

IF the student would fall under the ADA for this request, the school's reaction might not be legal. But there is not nearly enough information to determine if the student actually has a documented condition which would be covered under the ADA. If he does, then it would need to be determined if the request for accomodation was reasonable, and retaliation for requesting it could get them into trouble. BUT...I'm suspecting that there is no actual disability here and mom is just trying to get around the school policy for the deadline to add/drop/change classes.

 

[Ohiogal]

No child has the "right" to play football or any sport.

 

[Silverplum]

If he couldn't handle AP classes last year, then his weekly eligibility to play must have been yet another stress upon the student.

I agree with the superintendent, of course.

 

[cbg]

I don't see this as being any different than when you're not allowed to participate in after-school activities on a day that you were too sick to go to school.

 

[Antigone*]

All arguments aside, when did playing football, or participating in any other extracurricular activity become a right?

 

[mmmagique]

The medical professional cleared him for all physical activity. The medical professional professed that the stress of AP classes is too much for the child. I don't see how a school administrator is able to give this child a medical diagnosis that differs from what the medically trained and licensed doctor did.
It seems that someone thought it would be a good idea to twist the doctor's words into what they thought it should mean.
I would fight it.

 

[I'mTheFather]

The medical professional cleared him for all physical activity. The medical professional professed that the stress of AP classes is too much for the child. I don't see how a school administrator is able to give this child a medical diagnosis that differs from what the medically trained and licensed doctor did.
It seems that someone thought it would be a good idea to twist the doctor's words into what they thought it should mean.
I would fight it.

I don't see where the doctor's words were twisted. In fact, from the district's email, the words came from the doctor's office manager. The district added additional precautions, as it saw fit, to prevent a recurrence of the student's stress.

Once again, I doubt very much that the doctor would appear at a hearing on the OP's behalf. I very much doubt that the doctor made such a diagnosis, though it's possible he wrote a note.

 

[BigMouthWino]

I don't see where the doctor's words were twisted. In fact, from the district's email, the words came from the doctor's office manager. The district added additional precautions, as it saw fit, to prevent a recurrence of the student's stress.

If you do not see what the school district is doing to this child as purely retaliatory you are a fool. They want every seat in their AP classes full for the MONEY. The school year has started and they're furious that the parent has found a way to withdraw her son from the AP classes.

Once again, I doubt very much that the doctor would appear at a hearing on the OP's behalf. I very much doubt that the doctor made such a diagnosis, though it's possible he wrote a note.

If OP ends up suing the school district the doctor can be subpoenaed. Otherwise, you can pay him to come to the administrative hearings and testify or, believe it or not, most pediatricians care about their patients and he might show up of his own accord.