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Alaska School District Accused of Discrimination

The Alaska State Commission for Human Rights has accused the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District of discriminating against a disabled employee and illegally requesting medical histories from workers. According to the commission’s accusation, filed on April 18, Martha Kerr was hired May 2006 as a substitute teaching aide. She filled out a “Notification of Previous Injury or Illness” form with the district after she was hired. The form asked a variety of questions about her medical past. Kerr said she did not disclose she suffers from Asperger’s syndrome because the form does not specifically ask for it. Once Kerr began receiving substitute assignments in February 2008, several of the schools she worked at complained to the district that she was sleeping in class. Kerr said she was closing her eyes to focus better because Asperger’s syndrome makes it difficult to process multiple stimuli. Click here to read more.
 
 



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