CONWAY, Ark. (AP) – A federal judge has rejected a plea by a 16-year-old
Arkansas girl who sought to bring her service dog to school to help ease panic
attacks that can debilitate her.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports federal Judge Brian Miller ruled Wednesday the Conway School District can’t be compelled under the Americans with Disabilities Act to allow the dog.
The girl and her mother had argued the district’s refusal to allow Dobbie, a
miniature Australian shepherd, violated federal disability law.
The girl, a senior, receives psychiatric treatment for anxiety and Dobbie is
trained to do things like block her from crowds, which sometimes trigger
attacks.
Miller determined the federal disabilities act requires the district to make
“reasonable modifications” to avoid disability discrimination. But he ruled
the act doesn’t require the district to provide the specific modifications the
girl sought.
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