17 December 2011

Hey. I am copying and pasting you an e-mail that I've been sending out to people who can help me.

So it's been a very long 4 days. I have made so many phone calls and emailed many people and used sign more than I ever have ever in my life signing to people on the videophone about my case. I am very tired. I contacted NAD, LCD, LAD, some professors at lsuhsc, some interpreters, MLTS, and the advocacy center, and a law firm in Maryland, my advisor at LSU. I will know more of what will happen next week.

My name is Kristy Andrus and I am a resident of Baton Rouge, LA. I have a concern I wish to share with you. Please bear with me as you read this as the e-mail is ridiculously long, but it will explain everything in deep detail.

I was interested in the Clinical Laboratory Sciences program offered at LSUHSC about a year ago, and I met with an advisor at LSU in Baton Rouge to discuss this change in my major. He told me that I had to complete two more prerequisites before I could apply for the CLS program in New Orleans. Time went by and I passed the classes and applied. I was supposed to find out if I had been accepted or not in October. I called on the first week of November to ask why I had not heard anything yet. Some one said that the applicants who had been accepted would get the letters first, and the ones who did would get it in the following next few weeks. In mid-November, I was very utterly confused when I received my letter because it had stated that I did not complete their prerequisites because I made a D in Organic Chemistry at a previous university. I did what my advisor told me to do. So, I called my advisor and LSUHSC and told them I was confused. They told me they would discuss this and come to a decision. Days went by and by before I heard anything. I lost my patience and called LSUHSC back. They said nothing about the Chemistry course, but had asked me if I could come for an interview on the 7th of December. Of course, I was stunned and excited! I told them I would be there and that I would need an interpreter. The woman (I do not know her name) on the telephone told me, "no". I was like, "It is possible that I may be a student in this program and they HAVE to provide me an interpreter. It is not my responsibility to look and find an interpreter, but yours!" She said, "um...hold on..." A few minutes later, she had said that they would have to investigate this. And to cancel the interview appointment until further notice. I was disappointed, but had nice manners and told her, "Okay, please call me back once the investigation is done and over with."

Time passed and still had no word. I called them back and asked what was going on. They told me that the Department Head, Mr. Larry Broussard was out of town and that the faculty had to discuss this with him. I was so appalled. But, then I told them please to keep me posted. About a week later, still no word. I really lost my patience this time and called them and demanded to know what was going on. The woman transferred me to the Program Director, Ms. Patsy Jarreau. The conversation, of course, began with me asking what was going on. Remember, they had ASKED me to go for an interview.... She told me that they could not accept me because I had not met to their prerequisites because I did not complete the Organic Chemistry course and that the Department Head, Mr. Broussard had emailed me but she did not have a copy. I told her I checked my email every day and I never got anything. I was really confused because THEY had asked me to go for an interview, which gave me the assumption that my advisor and LSUHSC spoke about the course conflict. I mean, when someone asks you to come for an interview that usually implies that they are interested in you! Right? I told Ms. Jarreau, ", let me back up. If I do take this correct Organic Chemistry course next semester at LSU in Baton Rouge, will I be eligible to apply again for the spring of 2013?" She replied with, "Yes, but..." I just knew it. I knew what was coming. "Yes, but.... there is also the technical standards..." I thought to myself, technical standards!? You already considered having an interview with me, and now you are saying technical standards!? (I thought this to myself) She kept on telling me "Technical Standards.. Technical Standards you have to follow, did you read our Technical Standards online?" I told her, Yes I have and that it does not matter because there were/are four deaf women in this state who are MLTs. She then asked me, "Can you speak?" I was very appalled at this. No one can ask you this kind of question BEFORE you are accepted, or then that is discrimination. I replied with, "Yes, I can speak, but not fluently with my voice. I can speak in sign language. I can write. I use my body language, facial expressions, and gestures very well." I was basically defending myself. She kept on giving me an impression that it did not matter. "Technical Standards..Technical Standards" The interpreter on the Videophone interpreted this "Technical Standards.... (Threw his hands/arms down as in frustration). I interrupted and told Ms. Jarreau, "Okay thank you for your time.” but before I could say it, the interpreter had told me that she had hung up on me. She. Hung. Up. On. Me.


I did not think of anything when she had told me that Mr. Broussard had emailed me and that she did not have a copy until a day after the conversation. I know why she did not have a copy because he never emailed me. I mean, I am not dumb; I am deaf, but not dumb. So I emailed Ms. Jarreau requesting that Mr. Broussard resend the email. A few minutes later, I decided to forward my email to Ms. Jarreau again and TO Mr. Larry Broussard. About an hour later, I got the email.

My blood was and is still boiling. I called another school in Baton Rouge that offers a program in Medical Technology, but only offers an Associates Degree. Med Vance Institute is the name of the school. I called to request more information about their program, explained to the representative that I was deaf and unable to speak fluently with my voice, and talked a bit about my education background. She put me on hold to speak to the Program Director and when she came back, I could not believe what she had told me. "We will accommodate you. We do not discriminate. Please come and see us tomorrow" I requested an interpreter and got one for my interview and it looks like I start in February. I am still in disbelief. I’ve been fighting for eight years to get in a program, not a school, but a program and I got in Med Vance with NO problem.

LSUHSC was not willing to accommodate me for the interview. Why? I do not know. Ms. Jarreau asked me if I could speak and spoke so much about technical standards after reading my recommendation letters, my Admissions Essay, and our conversations on Videophone with an interpreter. They knew I was deaf. And they changed their story/reasons more than once. Something is not right. I feel violated.

I want to write a certified letter to the Dean/Department Head of the CLS Program and to the President of LSUHSC. I am going to tell them that what they did was wrong. They have something about the ADA on their website, but they violated the Title III of the ADA. I was offered an interview, but once I requested for an interpreter, I heard a different story when I called back. I am going to tell them that their behavior was unacceptable. I am going to tell them what happened and that if they do not contact me back in a week, I will contact the Department of Justice. I am coming to you because I need your help/opinions/advice before I write this letter. I am not sure if LSUHSC does not have a Federal grant to provide me an interpreter? That cannot be because they have funds for Pell grant, FAFSA, etc. They do not even have an Office of Disability Services. That is so not right.

I’ve changed my major three times. One of them was nursing. I was denied at three different Universities and I fought, but I lost and I let it go. I am not going to let this one go this time. I am very determined to get LSUHSC in trouble. I am not interested in LSUHSC anymore but I want to make a difference for the disabled who was/are struggling like me to get into LSUHSC or any other schools. What they did was not right and I am not going to let this one pass by. They are not getting away with this. And by this, I mean by discrimination.

I apologize for sending you such a detailed, long e-mail. I hope you understand and I hope I will hear back from you. Thank you for taking the time to read and listen.

Sincerely,

Kristy Andrus

P.s: This is the webpage LSUHSC have on the ADA and the email from Mr. Larry Broussard. If you want to have a meeting or gather more information from me, please let me know.

http://alliedhealth.lsuhsc.edu/Administration/ADAPolicy.pdf

Below is the email that I received from the Department Head.


Ms Andrus
This message is in reply to your request for information about the letter you received indicating that you failed to complete the prerequisite courses for the LSUHSC Medical Technology program. The prerequisite organic chemistry course this at we require is the course that received a grade of D in. We have never accepted a survey organic chemistry course and even though Mr. Anthony Oster may have told you we do we have never accepted this course and have informed him of this fact. Also at this time we have filled all of the available positions for the incoming class so it would not be possible for us to reconsider our decision. If you wish to apply next year for the class beginning in January 2013 you will have to pass the required organic chemistry course. If you wish to discuss your situation with me and Ms. Jarreau we would be willing to meet with you. LSUHSC does not have an office of disability services so if you require an interpreter for the meeting with us you will have to request an interpreter through service providers such as the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf.
Sincerely
Larry Broussard, PhD
Professor and Department Head