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sandra.matke
New Member
8 Posts |
 Posted - 04/20/2001 : 3:08:16 PM
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BRANCHBURG, N.J. — Parents of a 12-year-old hearing-impaired student who was reprimanded for using sign language on the school bus are threatening to sue the Branchburg School District if officials do not allow their daughter to continue signing.
District administrators, claiming that the signing was creating a disturbance on the bus, demanded that all students discontinue the practice. When Danica Lesko refused to stop signing, the district issued a report threatening to suspend her riding privileges. The girl’s family contends that the disturbance on the bus was created by other passengers, who were mocking the actions of the hearing-impaired students.
Danica’s parents are filing suit with the State Department of Education and have retained the legal services of New Jersey Protection and Advocacy. “It’s an issue of basic civil rights. She is a student with a disability, and the school district is trying to quash a student’s right to communicate,” Sheri-Rose Rubin, an attorney for the legal team, told reporters at the New Jersey Star-Ledger.
Danica’s parents, who have already filed suit against the district for the on-campus incident that allegedly caused Danica’s hearing loss, are ready to file a second suit if administrators do not retract their prohibition on signing.
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thomas86_a
Top Member
USA
4413 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2001 : 3:51:28 PM
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I don't see how it is distracting.
It is discrimination-you can't stop someone from signing-it would be equilvalent to telling a blind person they can't bring a guide dog in a public place.
If it was my bus I would tell them to keep on using sign language-you would have to fire me if the sign language was to stop. Then they would really see lawsuits.
"Thomas Built Buses-The best buses on the Road." |
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B. Busguy33
Top Member
USA
3444 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2001 : 5:54:02 PM
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I agree completely with thomas86_a.
This is how this girl communicates with other people. How can it be a distraction? Sure, people may mock her, but it does not give the school district any right to suspend her from her riding privileges. What's next, students won't be able to talk on the bus...even if there's something bad that is going on on the bus.
Funny...they will suspend a student riding a bus for communicating (sign language). But I've seen students STILL ride the bus, no matter what they do. It takes a long time and a long list of infractions for them to get kicked off. When I say infractions, I mean throwing things, swearing, spitting, pulling other students' hair, etc., etc.
The bottom line is, this is purely discrimination. There are no ands, ors, or buts, about it. I really hope that this student and her family will win this lawsuit and that she will still be able to ride the bus. She is most certainly entitled to it, that's for sure.
Bob
"B. Busguy33" |
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Frank, Bus #150
Senior Member
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - 04/20/2001 : 8:19:28 PM
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There has to be more to this story than what we have heard so far.
The "district administrator's" public relations department would have put a stop to this otherwise.
Maybe the girl was using the only word I know in sign language. (It only requires one finger.)
Frank, Bus #150
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thomas86_a
Top Member
USA
4413 Posts |
Posted - 04/21/2001 : 05:24:07 AM
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Well Frank
There may be more to the story, but I don't think that the sign language she is using is the sign language that you and I know!! She is using regular sign language.
You said the district administrators would have put a stop to it. Not if they don't care.
"Thomas Built Buses-The best buses on the Road." |
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Thomas00
Top Member
USA
546 Posts |
Posted - 04/21/2001 : 5:10:06 PM
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The School System is just looking for trouble,since they have noting better to do!Come on now how dumb is that! Here they are worry about a little girl signing on the bus.When they should be worry about school shooting,failing schools,children who being abuse at home,and most all short on teachers.This really make sick when people just do dumb thing!I say girlfriend keep on signing if they don't like tell the drop  and go to HE double hocky sticks in sign language.Alway remember treat people the way you want to be treat.
Edited by - Thomas00 on 04/24/2001 11:40:54 PM |
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wagonmaster
Top Member
USA
2298 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2001 : 07:27:37 AM
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HI Sandra,
The school district has gone too far! Its certainly discriminatory to take these type of extreme measures and its due to others, it would seem. Overeaction is becoming the order of the day on issues such as these. I would hope that there is more to this than meets the eye! I have learned in 30 years of transportation that there are ALWAYS two sides to every story!!!
Joe
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JK
Top Member
USA
7307 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2001 : 11:23:54 AM
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This is just to let you know that most of you on this thread were right. Look how the public reacted.
According to the recent Associated Press article, Hearing-impaired girl can use sign language on bus, "Branchburg school district officials were soon bombarded with calls and e-mails from people who questioned the ban. The issue was also discussed on talk radio shows."
Here's the story's link:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20010426_682.html
What the stories about this incident lacked was what was so disrupting about the use of sign language on the bus? The problem, vaguely described by the parents' of the hearing-impaired child, said that, "the disturbance on the bus was created by other passengers, who were mocking the actions of the hearing-impaired students."
Imagine a bus driver trying to enforce that principal's dumb decision -- addressing a symptom rather than addressing the mocking behavior of the bratty kids causing the disturbance. That parents legal council is going to have a field day with this one.
Maybe the best way to of handled this, in the first place, was to train the driver in sign language. But, well gee, it can cost money to do things the right way.
The Branchburg school district got some bad press and it looks like they deserved it. (jk)
Edited by - jk on 04/26/2001 11:36:54 AM |
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BusBoy
Top Member
USA
2042 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2001 : 6:19:43 PM
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Good!! All Children should have the right to talk in all languages!!!
Good For the people in Branchburg!!
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Buslagb71
New Member
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 05/13/2001 : 07:01:38 AM
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Where is this childs rights to speak? If this child is not allowed to use sign language then all the other children on the buses should not be able to speak as well. Signing is far less impeding a driver then a child screaming at the top of their lungs. I have taught my children on the bus sign language. There are times that I need to ask a group question, and have taught them how to give me a hand yes or a hand no. They also have learned other words like sit down, turn around. Makes my job much easier. If it was the other kids that were mocking her causing the disturbance then those children should be punished, not the child that needs to use sign language. That is her only means to communicate. I cannot belive that this is even a issue, I am sitting here skaking my head!
Buslagb71 |
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ernestb
Senior Member
USA
145 Posts |
Posted - 05/16/2001 : 10:47:33 PM
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I have been on vacation for the past three weeks and I am red in the face, I heard about the kid being cited for signing on the bus! I have been driving special
Education for the past 7 years and my kids sign! I also sign as well, what nerve a school board to even think of doing this horrible thing! I hope the parents sue the living crap out of the school district. Hell why don’t they just duct tape the girl’s mouth shut, basically the same thing. If I had a choice, I would demand the kids on the field trips to not talk but sign, since it does make it much quieter in the bus. If you’re a driver that don’t appreciate the communcation for the deaf then get off the bus and find another job! PERIOD!
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BusBoss
Senior Member
105 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2001 : 3:35:48 PM
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I am certain that at this point and time, the Branchburg School District if instituting sign language classes for their school bus personnel. This child has a legal right to equal access. Possibly sign language was a distraction because the driver didn't have a clue what was being signed by that child. Another scary issue is should this child become ill on the bus, who's able to communicate with her? Scary!!!
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MrBusDriver
Senior Member
USA
189 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2001 : 7:00:49 PM
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Signing, First Aid & CPR should all be mandatory and if I have my way, they will be in my district. Good point... if this girl were to become ill, how would the driver be able to communicate with her if they didn't sign? I have picked up most of my signing skills from the few deaf children in our district, and want to learn more... it is important and that school district banning sign language should be ASHAMED!
-- Mr Bus Driver
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Stevebus42
Advanced Member
USA
363 Posts |
Posted - 05/27/2001 : 06:31:34 AM
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I agree with all the post. I vehemently agree with Mr Bus driver. Signing CPR & First Aid Should be maditory Training. Many school districts worry about Liability from doing CPR. Well
folks the truth is the person you are doing CPR is DEAD. So if you bring him around you saved his life.
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Michael Lunsford
New Member
USA
5 Posts |
Posted - 05/29/2001 : 06:34:27 AM
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This is another example of someone being behind the times. A proper course of action would have been to explain to the other students what signing is. Encourage other student to learn basic signing and I think you would be amazed at how this could be turned into a positive environment.
Loudoun County Public Schools |
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bus9702AF
New Member
7 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2001 : 04:24:04 AM
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FFor the most part I agree with evreyone else.
I had to learn sign in school in order to talk to other students in my class. It had been a long time since I had to sign & forgotten alot of it. As a sub driver I am requried by my distric to be trained in CPR but yet I can not use what I know on a student if need be. And if I did I would lose my job. We must call for EMS and sit there and wait. I had a hearinparied route this week and thank god I had 2 other students on the bus that could sign. It would have taken me forever to get them home other wise. Because I have forgotten so much of the signs from not signing. I need to take a refresher class.
There is one stament I do dissagrea with and that's BUSBoys that students have a right to speak there own laug. As far as I'm concerned no they don't not while on the school bus. This is the USA and our laug is English.
Let me ask you this how many of you have had routes that the kids speak spanish, creal, or some other laug? I have had one route that was all they spoke and get a bus load of kids speaking spanish & creal all at the same time and each group is trying to be louder then the other. And when you say something to them about it they look at you like your from another plante. And in broken english tell you then don't speak or under stand english. But yet the school they go to is just for that to teach them english. And they know english they just don't want to use it. And when you are picking these students up and bussing them all over the county it helps if they can speak english.
Bus9702AF
Broward County Schools, FL
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Bus Boy 39
Top Member
USA
1315 Posts |
Posted - 06/15/2001 : 05:49:09 AM
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I can't see why they would ban sign language. That's just dumb!
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mirrorimage
Active Member
28 Posts |
Posted - 06/18/2001 : 12:40:55 PM
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THAT IS ABSURD! That is like telling a non-hearing impaired child that he or she may no longer SPEAK on the bus. If signing is a "disturbance", then so the heck is TALKING!
Edited by - mirrorimage on 06/18/2001 12:41:28 PM |
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Sign language banned on school bus
