By
Aya Miller | amiller2@mlive.com
KALAMAZOO, MI -- Kalamazoo Central High School 12th grader Alyssa Douglas said her final year of high school has been complicated due to the treatment she and her service dog, Moxi, received while attending classes at the school.
Douglas has filed a federal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.
Douglas said she was subjected to continuous harassment and attempts on her dog's life during her time on the Kalamazoo Central High School campus. Moxi assists Douglas with severe anxiety attacks that can lead to fainting episodes, changes in her heart rate and drops in her oxygen levels.
"If it gets so severe and he can't go and get somebody because I fall on his leash or something, (that's a problem). That happened in the summer, I ended up having to go to the hospital because of it," Douglas said. "If somebody can help me, then it can be resolved."
The school is being investigated by the Office for Civil Rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, according to an education department spokesperson.
An investigation was opened into Kalamazoo Public Schools over a service animal disability violation on Jan. 20, 2023.
KPS spokesperson Susan Coney said the district cannot comment on pending litigation.
The federal complaint addresses an Oct. 10 incident, where a group of six students followed Douglas and Moxi in the hallway and continuously circled where Douglas and her dog sat for lunch. After Douglas asked them to stop, one jumped on the dog, landing inches away from its neck, Douglas said.
Douglas said later in the day, the same students harassed her and a teacher intervened.
Douglas said she reported issues to an assistant principal. When she was told nothing could be done, she went back to class in tears.
Douglas' mom later tried to intervene, but was told Douglas had threatened to file a lawsuit and that the matter was redirected to the administration building. After five months of not hearing from administration, Douglas said they chose to file a complaint.
From the start, Douglas said she did not have support from the school administration to have a service dog on campus. Douglas said she adopted her dog from a shelter in May 2022 and informed the school he would be trained as a service dog and would be accompanying her two weeks later.
In such cases, federal law requires a team to determine if a student requires accommodations. If they do, a plan must be developed.
The school eventually agreed to allow Douglas to bring her service dog to school. Douglas said students would yank his tail and throw food at him to see whether he would eat it.
To avoid being bothered, Douglas said she would eat lunch in the hall with Moxi.
Douglas said she can't afford to find a fully-trained service dog before she starts college.
Going forward, Douglas said she hopes to find support from administration in making the environment at Kalamazoo Central more accommodating to students with disabilities. Douglas said she also hopes to further eliminate the stigma around students with service dogs.
"If I'm already putting myself out there, I might as well keep doing it because nobody else should have to go through what I've gone through with him," Douglas said.
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Aya Miller | amiller2@mlive.com
KALAMAZOO, MI -- Kalamazoo Central High School 12th grader Alyssa Douglas said her final year of high school has been complicated due to the treatment she and her service dog, Moxi, received while attending classes at the school.
Douglas has filed a federal complaint with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.
Douglas said she was subjected to continuous harassment and attempts on her dog's life during her time on the Kalamazoo Central High School campus. Moxi assists Douglas with severe anxiety attacks that can lead to fainting episodes, changes in her heart rate and drops in her oxygen levels.
"If it gets so severe and he can't go and get somebody because I fall on his leash or something, (that's a problem). That happened in the summer, I ended up having to go to the hospital because of it," Douglas said. "If somebody can help me, then it can be resolved."
The school is being investigated by the Office for Civil Rights under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, according to an education department spokesperson.
An investigation was opened into Kalamazoo Public Schools over a service animal disability violation on Jan. 20, 2023.
KPS spokesperson Susan Coney said the district cannot comment on pending litigation.
The federal complaint addresses an Oct. 10 incident, where a group of six students followed Douglas and Moxi in the hallway and continuously circled where Douglas and her dog sat for lunch. After Douglas asked them to stop, one jumped on the dog, landing inches away from its neck, Douglas said.
Douglas said later in the day, the same students harassed her and a teacher intervened.
Douglas said she reported issues to an assistant principal. When she was told nothing could be done, she went back to class in tears.
Douglas' mom later tried to intervene, but was told Douglas had threatened to file a lawsuit and that the matter was redirected to the administration building. After five months of not hearing from administration, Douglas said they chose to file a complaint.
From the start, Douglas said she did not have support from the school administration to have a service dog on campus. Douglas said she adopted her dog from a shelter in May 2022 and informed the school he would be trained as a service dog and would be accompanying her two weeks later.
In such cases, federal law requires a team to determine if a student requires accommodations. If they do, a plan must be developed.
The school eventually agreed to allow Douglas to bring her service dog to school. Douglas said students would yank his tail and throw food at him to see whether he would eat it.
To avoid being bothered, Douglas said she would eat lunch in the hall with Moxi.
Douglas said she can't afford to find a fully-trained service dog before she starts college.
Going forward, Douglas said she hopes to find support from administration in making the environment at Kalamazoo Central more accommodating to students with disabilities. Douglas said she also hopes to further eliminate the stigma around students with service dogs.
"If I'm already putting myself out there, I might as well keep doing it because nobody else should have to go through what I've gone through with him," Douglas said.
Kalamazoo school under investigation after alleged harassment of student with service dog
A student has filed a federal complaint, saying she was subjected to continuous harassment for having a service dog at school.
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