J.D. returns to finish college

J.D. contacted PAI for assistance after he was dismissed from the private University program he had been attending. J.D. took four days off from his higher education program to focus on his mental health disability. Due to possible miscommunication, the University told J.D. not to return to his clinic site and then dismissed him from the program for violating the University’s absence policy. J.D. received an “F” for the course he was in. J.D. had four weeks remaining to complete his higher education program. He has a strong academic record, receiving an A in a majority of his course work.

PAI staff attorney Sean Rashkis provided J.D. with an opinion letter concluding that the University failed to provide J.D. a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act by not permitting him to take time off due to his mental health needs. Rashkis also assisted J.D. in filing a grievance with the University’s central office.

The University’s appeals board met and decided to reinstate J.D. to the program. Rashkis negotiated with the University and it was agreed that the “F” grade will be removed from J.D.’s transcript and he will return to complete a set amount of weeks. Because he had paid rent and had other living expenses for several weeks of the clinic program that he will have to repeat, under the agreement, the University will reimburse J.D. for those expenses.