Mia Farrow: Pennsylvania Boarding School Refuses To Admit HIV+ Honors Student

Posted by | February 6, 2012 21:27 | Filed under: Top Stories


The Milton Hershey School won’t allow a 13-year-old honors student to enroll because he is HIV positive.

On its website…the school states that the boy would pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others, and as a private school it can establish its own eligibility criteria.

In fact, HIV discrimination is illegal under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania has filed suit against the school, alleging that it has broken the law by refusing to admit Abraham [not his real name] because he has HIV. For more than 23 years, this non-profit has been protecting the rights of people with HIV/AIDS.

“I thought I would get into the school, because of the type of student and person I am,” Young Abraham told ABC News through an attorney. But as a result of the school’s decision; “my life has turned into fear, anger, confusion and tears.”

“The idea that anyone could be denied entry based on a disability is astounding,” said Arthur Caplan, director of the Pennsylvania Center for Bioethics. “It sets back what we know to be true about the disease.” Caplan believes the school will lose the law suit “So they better get ready to figure out how they’re going to accept him.”

And how does Abraham feel? “As far as me still wanting to go to Milton Hershey I still do but I am now afraid to. I want them to apologize to me for making like I’m going to be a reckless teenager and put someone else in jeopardy. They should give me more credit than that.”

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Copyright 2012 Liberaland
By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.

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