Mother claims school asked her to keep her autistic daughter home due to her disability

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX/WTTE) — A Columbus mother called Scoring Our Schools to say her daughter's elementary school is singling her out due to her disability.

Azaria Handy, 8, is a nonverbal, autistic and attends Fairwood Alternative Elementary School. Her mother, Bryandria Duff, said she received a disturbing call from the school principal last Tuesday.

She said he asked if she could keep Azaria home for the day due to a lack of staff and aides. Azaria is in the Columbus City Schools special education program and requires more resources and supervision due to her IEP or individual education plan.

"Azaria loves school. She sits at that window and waits for her bus to come," Duff told Scoring Our Schools. "It's hurtful. This is her school. This is where she goes every day."

Duff said staff from Fairwood asked her to keep Azaria home three times last year before making the same request last week. After going along with those requests, she told Scoring Our Schools that she's tired of Azaria being made to feel that she's different.

"I know what you all go through with my daughter. I go through the same things at home with her," Duff said emotionally before walking away to compose herself.

According to the communications department with CCS, Azaria's principal did speak with Duff last week but they would not comment on the nature of the conversation. Advocates from Disability Rights Ohio (DRO) said the law requires schools to have services and supports in place that children need.

"That would be a clear violation of the law," said senior DRO attorney Kristin Hildebrant. "I think there's a large percent of parents who don't understand what their rights are."

Duff has now called the Ohio Department of Education, Department of Developmental Disabilities and the NAACP. DRO will be attending her next meeting with the school regarding Azaria's IEP scheduled for next week.

For any other parents with questions about special education and their rights, the organization's contact information is listed on its website.