Washington School Denies Autistic Boy's Service Dog School Entry

POSTED: 2:53 pm EDT April 11, 2008
UPDATED: 9:48 am EDT April 18, 2008

NORTH FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A Washington County family alleges school leaders are discriminating against them by banning their son's certified service dog from the building.

Last week, 7-year-old Bradley Dallatore’s parents said the dog's beneficial tug and training can help their autistic child, who attends Trinity West Elementary in North Franklin Township.

Discussion about the issue continued at a school board meeting Thursday night.

"If a parent with a seeing eye dog would happen to come to the district to retrieve their child, what is the district's policy on this? I asked for the district's policy on this and I was told repeatedly it's an educational issue," said Bradley’s father, Robert Dallatore.

Superintendent Thomas Turnbaugh doesn't want the dog in the classrooms, because some students are allergic or afraid.

“He has no friends,” said Bradley’s mother, Linda Dallatore. “He doesn't know how to make friends. He has no social skills whatsoever.”

Linda Dallatore said she tries to take the dog, a Labrador Retriever named Jiffy, into the school lobby at 1 p.m. every day to pick up her son, but she is always told the animal cannot enter the school.

Now, the family is filing a complaint with the state Department of Education.

“This animal is on the same playing field as a seeing eye dog,” said Robert Dallatore.

Turnbaugh told WTAE Channel 4 Action News that he "would not allow a guide dog inside the building either" and instead would "bring another child to assist a blind child around the school."

But WTAE Channel 4 confirmed through the Washington County Blind Association that Trinity West has accepted their invites in the past to allow guide dogs in a classroom setting for a one-hour educational lesson.

“We have been discriminated against just because my son's autistic,” said Linda Dallatore.

Trinity West is a public school. The American Disabilities Act states that "the federal and state laws protect the right of individuals with disabilities to be accompanied by their personal trained service animals … in any place of public accommodation."

Turnbaugh said he wants to hire a mediator to help reach a compromise with the family.

He'd be willing to let Bradley meet the dog at the administration office when it's time to go home, but keep the animal out of the school the rest of the day. The family said they do not want to compromise by leaving the dog outside of the school.

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