[nabs-l] I believe I have been discriminated against, where to turn for help?

Thu Feb 14 19:06:45 UTC 2013

Yeah, all good ideas but here's the problem, my professor who discriminated against me is the chair of the modern language department and she will not give me a copy of my final exam. Also, my grade is final, I just want the university to know that what they did is not okay. Also my disability counselor was unhelpful in situations similar to this previously and in fact takes the side of the University. Pretty sorry I know… I just wasn't sure what to do or who to turn to.

Laurel and Stockard

On Feb 14, 2013, at 13:02, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:

> If you provide written documentation they won't have grounds to call you a liar.
> Your NFB chapter or state president should be able to help you. I
> think it's always best to start local, but you could also try
> contacting Scott LaBarre, who has represented plaintiffs in past NFB
> discrimination cases, at
> slabarre at labarrelaw.com
> If the discriminating professor is the chair of her department then go
> to the dean and also be sure to involve disability services or
> whatever ADA coordinator there is on campus.
> If you would be willing to tell us more about the prior  complaints
> you've made, where you've complained and what grounds were given for
> ignoring the complaints,  I might be able to offer more specific help.
> Arielle
> 
> On 2/14/13, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi  Laurel,
>> That is pretty blatant discrimination there. You should definitely
>> start by talking with the chair of the French department. Explain what
>> happened and provide written copies of your final exam and the exam
>> that everyone else was given, if you can find it. Request that your
>> grade be changed. Many universities have a formal process of
>> petitioning for a grade change based on unjust testing or grading
>> procedures. If you cannot get a satisfactory response from the
>> department chair, talk to the dean or associate dean of the College of
>> Arts and Sciences or whatever college the French department is in.
>> Also talk with disability services and perhaps request to file an ADA
>> complaint. Explain that the professor violated the ADA by not giving
>> you access to equal educational and testing procedures. I agree that
>> suing should only be considered if university-based avenues for
>> complaining don't work. You can contact your NFB chapter president or
>> state president, but frankly I think this case is serious enough that
>> university authorities should work with you without needing convincing
>> from NFB folks.
>> Arielle
>> 
>> On 2/14/13, Mauricio Almeida <mauriciopmalmeida at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> now we're speaking the same language.
>>> suing has to be put to the table as a last resource.
>>> 
>>> Mauricio.
>>> On Feb 14, 2013, at 1:46 PM, Joshua Lester <JLester8462 at pccua.edu> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> First of all, Laurel's female!
>>>> Second of all, I've tried going to colleges in the past to rectify my
>>>> issues and sometimes that doesn't work.
>>>> I hope she's able to get somewhere, but most of the time, universities
>>>> don't listen.
>>>> You've got to use the ADA and the IDEA as your defense and suing is the
>>>> last resort.
>>>> Blessings, Joshua
>>>> ________________________________________
>>>> From: nabs-l [nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Mauricio Almeida
>>>> [mauriciopmalmeida at gmail.com]
>>>> Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2013 12:42 PM
>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] I believe I have been discriminated against,
>>>> where to turn for help?
>>>> 
>>>> suing is not an easy thing to do, and let me tell you something sir, it
>>>> costs a hex of a lot of money.
>>>> he might have a much better success by bargaining and treating to sue
>>>> than
>>>> actually suing.
>>>> I recommend you present your case to university authorities first of
>>>> all.
>>>> 
>>>> Mauricio
>>>> On Feb 14, 2013, at 1:38 PM, Joshua Lester <JLester8462 at pccua.edu>
>>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Good grief!
>>>>> You better sue them!
>>>>> Contact Scott LaBarre, and he'll help you!
>>>>> That's terrible!
>>>>> Blessings, Joshua
>>>>> ________________________________________
>>>>> From: nabs-l [nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] on behalf of Laurel
>>>>> [laurel.stockard at gmail.com]
>>>>> Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2013 12:32 PM
>>>>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>>>>> Subject: [nabs-l] I believe I have been discriminated against,  where
>>>>> to
>>>>> turn for help?
>>>>> 
>>>>> As my subject says, I believe that I have been discriminated against
>>>>> by a professor at my university. I am wondering if one of you fellow
>>>>> listers can tell me where to get help. I had a French professor last
>>>>> semester. With out making this too long of a story, basically, I have
>>>>> just found out that she gave me different exams and quizzes than she
>>>>> gave everybody in the class. She made me do a different and much
>>>>> harder final exam for example. On the final, I had to go to my
>>>>> Disability Servic Testing office and answer 4 or 5 questions, in
>>>>> French of course, one page responses single spaced without use of a
>>>>> dictionary. I did not know then what everybody else did, I assumed
>>>>> they did the same as me. I found out yesterday, accidentally, that
>>>>> what she did was have everybody else come to class and get in groups.
>>>>> She then gave each group a dictionary, and assigned the groups 1
>>>>> question each. They then had to answer it and write their answers on
>>>>> the board. The whole class then discussed each question. All 20
>>>>> students made 100s on the exam. I made a 74. Had I made an "A" I would
>>>>> have made an "a" in the class. This is the most major thing she did,
>>>>> there's a lot of smaller things, but I think I can pin her down on
>>>>> this one. Where/what NFB resource/resources should I turn to for help?
>>>>> Thanks
>>>>> Laurel
>>>>> 
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>>>>> 
>>>>> 
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>>>> 
>>>> 
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