January 30, 2001
Social Issues: School and Daycare
Question from Spring Grove, Illinois, USA:
My 10 year old daughter is in the fifth grade at a private school. It seems to me that they don’t take her diabetes seriously.The principal commented to me that my daughter may be using her diabetes to make people feel sorry for her. When I spoke with my daughter, she told me she was being teased because of “special privilege”. I asked the principal to allow us to talk to the kids. She said that the school would handle it by telling everyone not to tease my daughter. Please help. What laws does my daughter have to protect her?
Answer:
Unfortunately, private schools are not bound by the laws that protect children with diabetes in public schools unless they receive Federal funding of some sort.
You can review The Law, Schools, and Your Child with Diabetes for more information.
If the teasing doesn’t stop, about all you can do is to try to reason with school authorities again.
SS
