SPRINGFIELD – After meeting with a local student who can no longer take her service animal to school due to claims of harassment from other students, State Senator Doris Turner led a resolution to encourage the review of school policies, ensuring they align with laws regarding service animal access.
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“Service animals offer critical assistance for individuals – helping to enhance independence and safety – and when students are in need of this specific accommodation at school, a lack of well-defined policies can lead to disability discrimination,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “No student should feel ostracized at school, and especially not because of a medical necessity like needing a service animal.”
Senate Resolution 542 recognizes the importance of service animals in the school setting and encourage a review of policies to ensure that all Illinois schools comply with disability rights laws governing service animal access. Under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, service animals are to assist students in equally accessing public schools and are required to be permitted to accompany a student at all school activities, whether in or outside the classroom.
Turner’s resolution comes in response to a recent incident involving a Rochester High School student who utilizes a medical alert dog to manager her Type 1 diabetes – alerting the student when her blood sugar drops too low and helping her stay alive. In November, the student reported harassment from other students at a school board meeting, claiming her peers would step on her Labrador’s legs – hurting his hips – pull his tail, throw food at him and bark at him in the hallways. In a TikTok posted by the student, she spoke about the issues and said the school district has not taken action to protect her service animal.
Senate Resolution 542 was adopted by the Senate Friday.
