Category: Animal House
I Have this problem, and I have no one to talk to about it. I have a Guide dog, and this summer I took a math class, and my math teacher complained about my guide dog. My dog snores really really loud like an old fat guy. When this happened I wasn’t upset I was just shocked because no teacher has ever had a problem with it before. I told my family just because I needed to tell someone. My family had me meet with someone from the school, and the lady said she would talk to the teacher. I didn’t want her to talk to him because I think his dislike for dogs is a cultural issue. She said she was going to talk to him and not tell me. I thought the issue was solved, now my family wants to sue. I don’t want to because the class is over and I want to move on with my life. I don’t want to be one of those people who is like you have to accept me and my guide dog because I’m blind, I hate those types of blind people. I get it not everyone is going to love my dog. What should I do?
If the issue was resolved and you were able to finish the class without feeling unsafe, there is no reason to sue.
Some people will sue for any reason. I don't see why. In my honest opinion, suing in a situation like this would be selfish. You finished the class and, as you said, you won't have to deal with this individual again. True, he might be rude to the next person who comes along with a guide dog in his class, but it's really not your problem now. People will always have their prejudices, and suing is just a way for people to stoop to the same petty level as the person that wronged them. Two wrongs don't make a right. I don't know if you watch South Park, but I always think of one particular episode whenever lawsuits, particularly frivolous ones, are mentioned. The episode was about sexual harassment. There was this dude who was dressed up as a panda who came to talk to the boys about sexual harassment, and basically what ended up happening was every time someone even looked at someone else wrong they were sued. It got more and more ridiculous until the entire town was basically out of money and the ultimate court case, everyone versus everyone, came to pass. So ok, South park is known for its exaggerations, but they always make you think.
I agree with the others. If you are done with the class, there is no reason to sue. Yes, your teacher was in the wrong. Even if his dislike of your dog was cultural, he lives in the US, where the use of guide dogs and the right of blind people to have them is protected by law. However, if you completed the class and no longer have to deal with this teacher, I'd say let bygones be bygones.
What was the complaints? If the teacher didn't ask you or the dog to leave there is no reason to sue.
Yeah he told me if my dog snored anymore I could go outside and take my dog for a walk and come back.
omg Sexual Harassment Panda that was season 3, I love South Park.
Then don't sue. You are over the legal age. You decide matters like this, not your parents.
I don't think your case would hold up in court. This teacher did not discriminate you or your dog.
Agreed. Even though there's no qestion the teacher was in the wrong or at least extremely rude, it's not worth suing over, particularly in view of the fact that you completed the class.. Dogs, like some people, can't necessarily help it if they snore and certainly not all the time.
i am partely going through what your going through . i have a guide dog who snores i am always ashamed by it buy i have never had the problem of a teacher calling me out on it. i think you should talk to the teacher privately and tell him that you can not control your dog when it snores. you ccan only do so much.
as of makeing a stand. i think its your decision to take a stand not your family or the blind community.
If your dog snores, wake the dog up. Dogs don't snore when they're awake. It won't kill the dog to be woken up if its snoring. I do it when my dog dreams and starts barking in class.
Ok, first of all, suing over this is not taking a stand, poster number 10, it is idiotic and makes all guide dog owners with lidgitimate harassment or descrimination or access complaints look bad. Agree with others that it is your choice not your family's whether or not you want to pursue a particular issue legally or through deplomacy or at all. Half agree with poster 11. If your dog's had a long day and the snoaring isn't that loud, then tell the professor to suck it up. If the dog sleeps all of the time during all of your classes and the snoaring is truly loud, then waking them up isn't a bad idea. If it were me I'd speak to the professor in person and explain about the facts that dogs are not perfect, nor are they robots and that they should be aware for their future reference, that suggesting or requesting that a student leave the classroom because their service dog is snoaring is descrimination and not acceptable. Then if they are not receptive you go through the college to address this issue, but a law suit? For this? Hell no.
I agree. It would be one thing if the rest of the faculty agreed with this professor but there's a lot to be said for resolving a conflict at the lowest possible level. If your professor can't accept the fact tat guide dogs are not robots then speak to the faculty about it and if necessary change to a class with a different teacher. But you should leave the courts out of it unless and until all other avenues have been atempted. Because as others have said it's stuff like this that gives the sighted world a bad impression of us.