Discussion - The Fourteenth Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause
After completing this week's readings, consider the following scenario.
The teachers in the building where you are principal, are planning the annual Sixth Grade Graduation.
The parents of a student in the Profoundly Mentally Impaired class have been told that their daughter will go to seventh grade next year.
Her mother calls your office and asks if her daughter can be included in the graduation exercises. You assure her that the student may certainly participate.
When you present the idea to your teachers, they are very upset. You are told, "Her wheelchair will mess up graduation," and "Her parents will bring her here, drop her off, and we will have to babysit her."
In light of the Equal Protection Clause (see link below), what will be your response?
Should you provide an alternative to the graduation ceremony for this student because the teachers are not on board or should you just cancel the ceremony altogether?