Hello and welcome back, readers! The CertaPet team is taking you to Virginia this week, where a family claims their son’s middle school is in violation of the ADA by refusing to let his service dog enter the classroom. Read on to learn more.
12-Year-Old With Autism Barred From Bringing Service Dog To School, His Family States
A family in Hanover is speaking out after their 12-year-old son was not allowed to bring his service dog to school, a decision they say is discriminatory and violates federal law.
On Tuesday evening, the Kreitz family brought their concerns before the Hanover County School Board, urging the members to permit Charlie Kreitz’s service dog, Wendy, to accompany him to Chickahominy Middle School.
“Denying Wendy is like denying a child their wheelchair,” said Charlie’s sister, Rebecca Kreitz, as she addressed the board. Wendy (trained by Canine Companions) was placed with Charlie over the summer.
His father, Matt Kreitz, explained that Charlie lives with autism and a panic disorder and has shown significant improvement since bonding with Wendy. “Charlie is now able to go into places where we wouldn’t go before,” he said.
However, school remains the one place where Wendy is not permitted to accompany Charlie. “Wendy is with Charlie every moment of every day, except for the one place he needs her the most, and that is inside school,” Matt Kreitz added.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals are allowed in public spaces and must be under the control of a handler. The dispute centers on who can legally be considered Wendy’s handler.
According to the Kreitz family, the school suggested either allowing rotating staff to handle Wendy or having Charlie assume that role. But the family says both options are unrealistic and unlawful.
“Charlie is 12. He has medical conditions that do not let him be able to control the service dog, especially for an 8-hour day,” Matt Kreitz noted. The family argues that a proper three-member service dog team includes a trained adult handler. Both Matt and his wife, Angie, are certified to handle Wendy.
They proposed either allowing Angie to accompany Charlie during the school day or permitting a trained third-party handler, options the school has reportedly rejected. “By refusing to allow a handler, you are refusing the dog itself,” Kreitz stated.
In response, School Board Chair Whitney Welsh read a joint statement from the school division, claiming the district has offered solutions, but the family has “chosen not to send the dog into the school building.”
The statement further emphasized that allowing a parent to remain in the classroom full-time would “fundamentally alter” the school environment. Despite the deadlock, the Kreitz family hopes that ongoing public support will lead to renewed dialogue with the school board.
Source: 12OnYourSide
CertaPet’s Thoughts on This Week’s News
Service animals play a vital role in supporting children with disabilities, promoting independence, safety, and emotional stability throughout their day. We at CertaPet hope that the Kreitz family and the Chickahominy Middle School are able to reach an amicable decision that’ll be to everyone’s benefit, especially Charlie’s thus allowing him to take full advantage of his school experience.
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