[Nfbmd] [nabs-l] did anyone hear about the FSU lawsuit?

[Chris Nusbaum]

 ---- Original Message ------
From: Beth <thebluesisloose at gmail.com
Subject: [nabs-l] did anyone hear about the FSU lawsuit?
Date sent: Fri, 01 Jul 2011 22:15:42 -0600

Hi, guys.  I thought I might ask you Florida students or any
students out there if you've heard that two of my friends are
suing FSU, my old university.  They're suing because of the math
department and the way the faculty has been treating them.  For
more, here's a clip of the article.

Blind Students Sue Florida State University for Discrimination
6/29/2011


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen at nfb.org

Blind Students Sue Florida State University for Discrimination
National Federation of the Blind Outraged at University's Actions
Baltimore, Maryland (June 29, 2011): With the assistance of the
National
Federation of the Blind, two blind students-Christopher Shane
Toth and Jamie
Ann Principato-filed suit today against Florida State University
(FSU) and
its board of trustees.  The suit alleges that FSU's Department of
Mathematics discriminated against Mr.  Toth and Ms.  Principato 
by
failing to
provide them with proper accommodations so that they could
successfully
complete required math courses for their respective degree
programs.  The
violations include requiring the students to use an inaccessible
Web-based
application to complete homework assignments, tests, and quizzes;
requiring
the use of clickers that cannot be used by a blind person to
respond to
in-class questions and obtain bonus credit; failing to provide
Braille
versions of the required textbooks in violation of agreed-upon
accommodation
plans; and engaging in retaliatory actions when the students
complained of
these violations.  In all cases, faculty members in the
Department of
Mathematics were generally uncooperative, unhelpful, and even
hostile, and
did not provide meaningful alternative methods for Mr.  Toth and
Ms.
Principato to successfully complete the required courses.  As a
result, both
students are currently unable to continue their degree programs
and find
their careers indefinitely on hold.

Dr.  Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the
Blind, said:
"Discrimination against blind students is all too common, but it
rarely
stems from actual animus towards the students.  This case,
however, involves
the repeated, deliberate, and intentional disregard of the rights
of these
two students, whose academic records have now suffered
irreparable damage
and who have suffered lost opportunities, emotional distress,
embarrassment,
humiliation, and retaliation by university officials.  The
National
Federation of the Blind will not stand for this outrageous
treatment of
blind students and we will continue to support this lawsuit as
fully as
necessary in order to ensure that these young people are
compensated for the
egregious conduct of faculty and staff in FSU's Department of
Mathematics."

The plaintiffs are represented in this matter by Daniel F.
Goldstein, Sharon
Krevor-Weisbaum, and Brooke E.  Lierman of the Baltimore firm
Brown,
Goldstein, and Levy; and Matthew Dietz of the Miami firm Law
Offices of
Matthew W.  Dietz, P.L.

Beth Taurasi
Sent from my BrailleNote Apex

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