Watchung Hills Failed To Evacuate Students With Disabilities, Settles Claim: U.S. Attorney

WARREN, NJ — The Watchung Hills Regional High School District Board of Education has agreed to settle claims that it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when it failed to evacuate at least one student with a mobility disability during a school-wide evacuation and didn't have any policies for such students, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.

The claims followed an incident on Oct. 7, 2014 where at least one student with a mobility disability was left on the second floor while students without disabilities were evacuated during an unplanned emergency evacuation, according to reports.

The district also did not have a policy or practice that allowed students with mobility impairments to participate fully and equally during emergency evacuation drills, according to the report.

"The ADA prohibits a public entity from, among other things, excluding or denying individuals with disabilities from benefits the public services, programs, or activities," according to Fitzpatrick. "To comply with the ADA, the district must ensure that students with disabilities are afforded 'meaningful access' to its services, benefits and activities, including emergency preparedness and emergency evacuations."

As a result of the agreement, the district will make sure students with disabilities are able to participate meaningfully in emergency evacuations and evacuations drills. It has also agreed to provide ADA training to all of its employees who interact with students with disabilities.

Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may file a complaint with the U.S Attorney’s Office HERE or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Complaint Hotline at 855-281-3339.

Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at 800-514-0301 and 800-514-0383 (TDD).

(Image via www.whrhs.org)

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