Louisiana State University (LSU) has a reputation as one of the most raucous universities in the nation. From rooting hard on Saturday nights in Death Valley to the uncommon sense of community that binds Tigers together, there is a true sense of oneness at LSU.
LSU’s unique strain of Southern hospitality and community should extend to the university’s treatment of students with disabilities. This is not always the case.
If you or your student has a disability, and you think LSU officials have failed to accommodate your disability appropriately, we want to hear from you. This conversation is particularly urgent if you are facing possible discipline, harmful grading, or other circumstances you believe fair accommodations or services might have prevented.
Louisiana officials have a hard-earned reputation as rulebreakers and rebels. Yet, there is no excuse for oversight when it comes to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). LSU officials must abide by this federal legislation, and we will explain what that means shortly.
First, know what to do if you’re in a predicament at LSU that is in any way related to your disability. Do not wait to call the LLF National Law Firm Education Law Team today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online to learn how we may help you.
LSU and the ADA: One Law That No Instructor or Administrator Can Flout
Former Louisiana Governor Huey Long’s role in transforming Louisiana State University into a cultural and educational powerhouse cannot be ignored. Yet Long’s famous penchant for bucking tradition and doing things his way cannot be carried over into LSU’s treatment of students with disabilities.
The Americans with Disabilities Act is not optional. It is the federal legislation that defines how universities that receive federal funding (which LSU does) must serve students with disabilities.
Here are some of the most fundamental entitlements the ADA affords Tigers with disabilities:
- Reasonable academic accommodations, which we will explain shortly
- Freedom from discrimination, harassment, and other hostile or neglectful conduct targeting students with disabilities
- Access to physical spaces throughout Louisiana State University
- Access to course materials, online activities, and other aspects of academic and social life at LSU
In short, students with disabilities must have the same opportunities to participate socially, thrive academically, and live the multifaceted lives that LSU students are known for.
Which Tigers Qualify as “Students with Disabilities”
It’s a legitimate and relevant question: Which Tigers can be said to have a disability?
Simply saying “I am disabled” is not enough. However, the bar for proving one’s disability is not especially high, either. Tigers are generally entitled to services and accommodations for a disability if they:
- Submit a New Student Application with Disability Services (DS)
- Complete a registration appointment with an Access Coordinator
- Provide sufficient documentation of one or more disabilities, typically provided by a “doctor, school counselor, or other healthcare professional”
- Submit accommodation requests as necessary
- Follow up with instructors about any accommodations the student is entitled to receive (even though instructors are electronically notified of approved accommodations)
A student who fulfills these steps should have their disability recognized and accommodated, whether:
- They have had the disability their entire life or have recently developed it
- The disability is apparent to others or not
- The disability is physical, emotional, cognitive, psychological, or of another nature
Disability. Documentation. Displaying proof of approved accommodations to instructors. Students who complete these steps should face no impediments, pushback, or other friction in seeking services or accommodations the ADA entitles them to.
What Kinds of Accommodations Are These Tigers Entitled To?
LSU literature directly acknowledges the accommodations students often need and seek. In other words, these accommodations are available, so long as university officials do their part in providing them:
- Test-specific accommodations: Some students are able to thrive in a traditional classroom setting, but see symptoms arise during high-pressure tests. LSU should provide deserving students with low-distraction testing environments, extended testing time, and other reasonable accommodations for examinations.
- Classroom accommodations: Some students’ disabilities affect them in everyday classroom settings. A student might need a designated note-taker, physical copies of lecture materials, flexible scheduling, excuse absences, and other accommodations that promote their academic success.
- Transportation: If students have physical disabilities or other conditions that affect their ability to get to and from class, other university activities, or other locales, LSU should reasonably assist them with transportation.
- Specialized housing (and dining accommodations): If you believe that you were not provided housing that would allow you to thrive as an LSU student, this can be a failure to honor the ADA on the university’s behalf.
- Permission for a support animal: University literature acknowledges that both service and support animals can help students “participate in or gain access to programs, benefits, or services at the University.”
Though it is not a disability, pregnancy can also entitle LSU students to accommodations. The university pledges a commitment to “supporting current and expecting parents in our LSU community.” If you believe you were not provided appropriate assistance as a current or expecting parent at LSU, we want to speak with you about it.
Whether a Tiger has Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), muscular dystrophy, an anxiety disorder, or any other condition that qualifies as a disability, they should receive reasonable accommodations and services.
The ADA states that, so long as a disability “substantially limits a major life activity,” a Tiger is generally eligible for accommodations.
LSU Disability Services (DS) Is the Resource Center Every Tiger with a Disability Deserves
We have alluded to LSU’s Disability Services office, but we should provide a bit more information. This office is a critical conduit between Tigers with disabilities and the instructors and administrators who are required by the ADA to serve those students.
As we review your case, we will examine whether Disability Services fulfilled its obligation (or promise) to:
- Honor the Americans with Disabilities Act, which contains many wide-reaching and specific mandates
- Provide you with personalized support, as service to those with disabilities is an inherently personal undertaking
- Foster an inclusive environment (for you), including freedom from harrassment, retaliation, and disparagement
This office is the central headquarters for students with disabilities. You should have been able to rely on Disability Services’ officials when registering your disability, determining which accommodations and services would have been beneficial, and securing those accommodations and services.
If the Disability Services offices contributed to LSU’s failure to accommodate you or your student, we will identify and document their failures.
This Office Spells Out Students’ (and Others’) Rights and Responsibilities Clearly
When we are evaluating whether Tigers’ rights have been violated, it helps to have those rights spelled out. Fortunately, LSU Disability Services does so, explaining that Tigers with disabilities have a right to:
- Accommodations: Disability Services formally acknowledges Tigers’ right to receive “appropriate accommodations in a timely manner.” This suggests that you may have a legitimate complaint not only about a lack of reasonable accommodations, but also about any delay in receiving them.
- Confidentiality: If you believe that confidential information was shared about you in a way that caused harm, tell our Student Defense Team about it. Our team may also want to know if one of your most fundamental rights (to privacy) was violated at LSU.
LSU DS also lists students’ responsibilities, including initiating the request for accommodations and communicating actively. If you feel you honored these responsibilities but still suffered some form of mistreatment, we want to hear about it.
Grievances: What Happens When LSU Students and Instructors Disagree About Disabilities
LSU’s disability-specific policies, through their very existence, acknowledge that students with disabilities can be mistreated. Whether or not such mistreatment is intentional, it can cause harm.
To its credit, LSU has systems in place to resolve problems specific to students with disabilities. Those resolution pathways include:
- A negotiated, informal resolution between the student and their instructor
- A resolution negotiated between the student and the instructor with mediation from a Disability Services staff member
- A complaint, which is generally submitted in writing to the offending staff member’s direct supervisor
- Grievances, which a student may file against a DS staff member or certain other members of the LSU community
- Appeals, including but not limited to decisions related to a student’s requested accommodations
Retaining our Student Defense is the most effective step Tigers can take. We want to hear from you if:
- You have been accused of behavioral misconduct in circumstances related to a disability
- You have suffered academic difficulties due (even in part) to inadequate accommodations
- You’ve had persistent difficulty securing necessary services or accommodations from LSU, and simply want the resolution you deserve
- You face any other adverse consequences related to a disability
When students’ disabilities are dismissed, neglected, held against them, or handled in other inappropriate ways, those students suffer both tangible and intangible harm. Our firm seeks to address and prevent tangible harm, whether that is preventing unwarranted discipline, seeking grade changes, or negotiating with LSU’s general counsel to secure the exact outcome the student deserves.
We are here to help. Do not wait to call the LLF National Law Firm Education Law Team today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online. Let’s talk about how we plan to assist you, and Geaux Tigers.