Sitting behind my desk at the library, I am outraged by what appears to be unlawful placement of two disabled paraprofessionals in a behavior class since the beginning of the school year. As I have said before, I am not a lawyer but I have been disabled myself for 29+ years so I know a thing or two about some of the issues surrounding the disabled worker.
I don't believe the "union contract" will give the Lynn School Department cover when the Department of Justice comes calling. Again I don't believe the legal language says "reasonable accommodation as long as the union allows it". A person's civil rights can not bargained away.
I don't know what the answer is, if I did they would pay me more. Wait, they don't pay me at all. Working for a few years with populations with behavior problems, I know the potential to get hurt is always there. Starting with disabilities already makes the occurrence of more injuries all the more likely for either the paraprofessional or the student in their charge.
If that happens, the injuries could be severe, attorney Mihos may need reinforcements, and the school department will learn what a real budget crisis looks like.
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