Honors Student Who Graduated High School Without Knowing How To Read Or Write Sues Board Of Education
She claims that she was bullied and ridiculed by the educators who were supposed to help her.
Pheelings media | Shutterstock Teachers across America have been sounding alarm bells about America's worsening literacy crisis for years now. Experts say students are reading far below their grade level, and data from the National Literacy Institute shows that approximately 40% of U.S students cannot read at a basic level.
Yet many who are illiterate are still graduating high school, Aleysha Ortiz among them. The 19-year-old walked the stage at her high school graduation and received her diploma with honors, despite the fact that she struggles to spell even her own name.
Ortiz graduated from high school without knowing how to read or write.
Ortiz moved to Hartford, Connecticut from Puerto Rico when she was in first grade. In addition to a language barrier, she struggled with a speech impediment, dyslexia, and ADHD.
“Every first day of school, I would tell the teacher I cannot read and write so please be patient for me," she told ABC News affiliate WTNH. But instead of giving her the necessary tools to succeed in her education, Ortiz alleged that her educators mocked and belittled her over her learning disabilities.
“I would cry knowing the people who had big titles knew this was happening, and no one stepped up to do something about it,” she tearfully recalled. “My time in Hartford Public Schools was a time that I don’t wish upon anyone."
Ortiz tried her very best to keep up with her peers, utilized talk-to-text technology to complete projects, and often spent her free time listening back to the audio of her classes. After improving her grades, she was able to meet the requirements necessary to graduate with the rest of her class. However, receiving a diploma does not negate all she endured to get there.
Now, Ortiz is seeking $3 million in damages from staff at Hartford Public schools.
The lawsuit alleges that Ortiz was the victim of bullying, harassment, and negligence from the people who were supposed to help her. The complaint names the Hartford Board of Education, the City of Hartford, and one of her special education teachers, Tilda Santiago.
Ortiz claims in her lawsuit that Santiago would “yell at, belittle, and humiliate [Ortiz] in front of other students and teachers.” She also reports that her “learning disabilities were not properly addressed by the Board, and as a result, she continued to struggle academically.”
Ortiz’s attorney, Anthony Spinella, says that Hartford school officials “really, really hurt” his client. “It's the treatment that she had to go through at the hands of several people, who were the adults in the room, who were supposed to be helping her,” he told WTNH.
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A spokesperson for the City of Hartford said they “do not comment on any stories relating to ongoing litigation.”
Carole Gale, President of Hartford Federation of Teachers, told WTNH that she could not speak on the specifics of the lawsuit. However, she believes that there needs to be a review of policy.
“It does give educators in Hartford pause to reflect on the sometimes conflicting goals to increase graduation rates,” Gale added.
Ortiz has since been accepted into the University of Connecticut, where she plans on focusing on special education policy and advocacy. “Education is so important and I believe we've forgotten the meaning of it,” she said. “I'm willing and determined to support students in need.”
Every student deserves access to an education that is free of prejudice, ridicule, and mockery. Hopefully Ortiz’s story reminds educators that their words and actions do matter, and that they should use their roles to help, not harm.
Megan Quinn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.