A group of parents of Spanish and Chinese descent, filed a lawsuit against the Department of education of new York after they allegedly refused the services of an interpreter, and said instead to learn English.
In the lawsuit of the parents of children with special needs provided that the representatives of the schools of new York denied them in oral and written translations, telling «very important» information about the welfare and the educational process of their children, including emergency situations.
In one case Hui Quin Liu, the mother of an 8-year-old schoolgirl with autism, described the lawyers as she called the bus driver her daughter and explained that the girl had a seizure and was taken to the nearest emergency room. Liu, who speaks Mandarin Chinese, said that although she could make out the name of the hospital, the more she understood nothing about her daughter’s health.
The girl’s mother also described another case in which the daughter came home with bite marks on the body. When Liu made a written request, asking for explanations from school, she called again and explained the situation in English. That is, it again are unable to understand what happened.
Another plaintiff Marcela Hernandez said that when she asked to hire a Spanish translator before the meeting was planned to discuss the issue of her 17-year-old daughter, also suffering from autism, instead of helping her said, «Why don’t you teach English?».
The lawsuit described one occasion when the mother, which is called only as Jane DOE, denied an interpreter when she wanted to know the details of the constant attacks on her 8-year-old son with autism. When the child’s mother called the school to discuss the matter, she refused to provide an interpreter and did not speak on the phone. When she came to school personally, the staff of the school asked the teacher, who barely knew Mandarin, to help with the translation. But due to poor knowledge of the language teacher, the child’s mother was unable to understand how he received the wound of her child, who else was involved in the incidents and what measures have been taken to prevent this again. In addition, the woman was not informed of her right to request a written report or investigate incidents, and to recommend what measures can be taken to protect her child.
In the lawsuit, legal company, Legal Services NYC said that the incidents described by plaintiffs reflect a «systematic and continuous» failure of the Department of education of new York to provide parents with a limited knowledge of the language «opportunity to fully participate in the education of their children.»
«As a parent, I find it unacceptable that information about my child may be given me for my language, I speak,» said Amy Leipziger, senior partner of law firm Legal Services NYC.
In his statement in response to the lawsuit, the representative Assembly of the state of new York Catalina Cruz stated that she «was horrified when she learned that the Department of education of new York city regularly fails in translation services for parents in the city. The Department isolates, probably, the most vulnerable members of our community – parents of students with disabilities who depend and trust Department to provide quality education and support to children.»
«New York is trying to be a model of opportunity and inclusion. The idea that the Department of education of new York denied the parents access to language and said, «teach English» outrageous,» said Cruz. «I applaud Legal Services NYC for the complaint against the Department and that they stand for justice for these and other families in this city.»
The Department of education of new York has not yet responded to a request for comment on the situation.
