Inclusion Daily Express -- High Court Rejects Mom's Stroller Case

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High Court Rejects Mom's Stroller Case
By Dave Reynolds, Inclusion Daily Express
December 7, 2005

CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND--The nation's High Court has rejected a claim from a mother that a school's refusal to allow her to bring her son's stroller onto its premises amounted to disability discrimination.

Rebecca Lawrence asserted that the Monkfield Park Primary School, the Cambridgeshire County Council, and head teacher Lynne Anderson had discriminated against her 4-year-old son, Matthew, who has cerebral palsy.

The claims came from an incident two years ago in which school officials told Lawrence she could not bring a double buggy, or stroller, that carried Matthew and his twin brother, David, into the school. The school cited safety and health reasons for the policy.

Lawrence said this meant her two older children could not participate in the school's annual nativity program or Christmas party because she could not carry the younger brothers into the school. She then moved the family to another school where she felt all of her children would be welcomed.

Lawrence requested damages for emotional distress and towards her increased rent, claiming the school, council, and head teacher violated the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act and the 1998 Human Rights Act.

According to the BBC, Judge Hawkesworth ruled last Friday that the school had fully complied with heath and safety laws and did not discriminate against her son.

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