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Sherrard Superintendent defends decision to appeal service dog dispute

The Superintendent of Sherrard is defending the school district’s decision to continue fighting a decision in a dispute over a service dog, even though le...

The Superintendent of Sherrard is defending the school district's decision to continue fighting a decision in a dispute over a service dog, even though legal costs continue to mount.

However, Dr. Samuel Light says there's been a rush to judgement in the court of public opinion in the case. He says the district tried to settle the case as per a state hearing officer's ruling, but says the other side rejected its offer.

"If they don't accept the offer, then we have to appeal. We totally agreed to pay what we were told to pay by the hearing officer, and that was denied", said Dr. Samuel Light.

Colin and Brandi McGuire took the district to court after they say their daughter Kelsey and her service dog Jasper were denied access to the school.

A state hearing officer agreed that the school provided a "hostile environment", and ordered the district to pay two years tuition for the girl to attend private school.

Supt. Light says the district was willing to do that, but the McGuires want more.  They are asking that their 65-thousand dollar legal bill be paid by the district, as per law. They also want the school to implement a service dog policy.

The school says federal law is sufficient.

"The law strongly supercedes any policy we would put in place, a policy is totally unnecessary. Why would we put a policy in place to say what the law is already saying?  That's ridiculous", Supt. Light said.

The legal bill for the district is already about $100,000.  The battle, far from over.

"I don't think there's ever a win. The attorneys, they get a lot of money. It's very frustrating because the focus for educators is supposed to be to educate students", he said.

"I've wanted from the very beginning to get the service animal and student back in our district".

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