Former first lady Rosalynn Carter says Georgia denies thousands of its schoolchildren with disabilities their civil rights.
Today marks the year anniversary of the U.S. Department of Justice notifying Gov. Nathan Deal that Georgia’s segregation and isolation of student with disabilities violates the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“An entire school year has passed since the DOJ sent its letter of findings to the state, yet for the students sentenced to these programs, time has stood still and justice continues to be denied. It is past time that Georgia found a way for these students to receive an equal education without being separated from their peers in their neighborhood schools,” says Carter.
“These are children with mental health and behavioral health needs and who are victims of trauma. They do not attend traditional public schools. Many remain in buildings that exist as vestiges of our sad segregated history. Others attend school in locked hallways and separate mobile classrooms, where they are not permitted to interact with the non-disabled school population. Most will never attend a high school football game or school dance,” Carter says.
To read more, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.
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