A disabled woman whose son was expelled from kindergarten because she missed too many parent-teacher meetings was awarded more than $53,000 by jurors who said her rights were violated.
The ruling, made Wednesday, means Reba Alexander will receive $53,500 from the Pinellas County School Board for the district's violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act.A written contract with Pasadena Fundamental Elementary School allowed her to miss two PTA meetings with no stand-in or four provided she sent someone in her place during the first two absences. But she had no stand-in and her then-5-year-old son was expelled in 1996 after the third absence.
Alexander, who suffers from kidney failure, was in the hospital with complications from dialysis when she missed her third meeting.