Growing up school is suppose to be one of the greatest experiences of a child's life. They are suppose to have fun, learn new things, make new friends and overall school is suppose to help shape them into the person they want to become in the future. For me school was the complete opposite of what it was suppose to be.
Now even though I was in a regular classroom and had wonderful grades, and the teachers never had a problem out of me, I was still considered the teachers 'pet.' I had tons of friends or so I thought. Almost every kid looked forward to Friday, because my house was the new hot hangout spot, but then there were kids who would act friendly to my face and be a total bad word behind my back. I have been called some of the cruelest names you could probably ever think of, because of my Cerebral Palsy. I dealt with an enormous amount of bullying from my peers, and I can still vividly remember coming home and getting in the shower before bed, and school the next morning crying so hard I couldn't breathe asking myself why I couldn't just be normal like every other child. Even though I dealt with this mass amount of bullying that continued until I exited high school, God also led me to my best friend Marissa. Marissa and I have been best friends since we were three-nagers, you know that stage where you act like you're a teenager, but you were only three? That's been us since I can remember. We met in Pre-K, she has been one of the only people not afraid of me and never saw a difference between her and I, even though I may have a few physical challenges. Instead of asking me the typical question I always got "What happened to your legs?' She just sat down beside of me and said "Hey, I'm Marissa, can I sit with you?" From that moment forward I knew I had made a best friend for life. To this day Marissa and I still call each other a million plus times a day and talk about anything and everything. Nine times out of ten if you see one of us, you will more than likely see the other one. As if I didn't already have it hard enough dealing with all of the bullying from all of my peers, except for my best friend and a few other friends, my school life was about to get a whole lot harder, even if I didn't know it just yet. When I was in Kindergarten getting ready to go into the First Grade, the principal at the time wanted me to switch schools, because both the school and the Floyd County, KY. Board of Education did not want to make the school handicapped accessible for me or any other handicapped child. They pulled myself and my parents to the side, and told us that we needed to schedule a meeting with my teachers, my para-educator aides, and the principal of the school in the principal's office. For the good kid who tried her hardest not to get in trouble at school, because she knew she'd get in trouble at home if she did, you can imagine how scary going to the principals office was for me. My parents and I both sat across from the principal as she called in my teachers one by one, once everyone was there who needed to be, she said the most disturbing words I've ever heard. "We think it is best that Hayley transfer to Clark Elementary School, given her physical disability, Clark is more suited to her needs since they do not have stairs inside the building." I can remember hearing the words fall from her mouth and I just sat there for a minute shell-shocked, how can this woman the head leader of a school institution, who is suppose to have every students best interest at heart be so discrimitive toward me? I remember looking at her and saying "excuse me, what? If you think that I am moving schools and leaving my friends that I have made here behind, you are crazy." My parents said some not so nice things to her that I won't repeat, but they did tell her they would see her in a courtroom. Trust me when I say still to this day this woman probably remembers all of the nasty words that were said to her that day, and it's probably a day she will never forget for as long as she lives. The next time I had to go in with my parents for a parent teacher conference to discuss both my grades and the school accessibility issue, my father took a tape recorder and asked the principal "Do you mind if I record this conversation for my lawyer?' She just looked at my father with the most shocked look I've ever seen. She didn't think my father meant what he said when he told her he would see her in court, but she didn't know about a week or so later they found a lawyer in Lexington, KY. We were determined to fight the school and leave them no choice, but to make the school facility handicapped accessible. We did just exactly that. The meeting ended up being recorded. They discussed my grades and tried to argue my parents on the accessibility issue as to why they were right and my parents were wrong. After a back and forth battle in the meetings, my mom having to pack me to my upstairs classes, because the aides said it wasn't in their job description to carry me and they were afraid of hurting their backs, me not being able to go outside and having to sit inside during recess and watch the other kids play on the playground, more meetings with the lawyers, the case was finally won! I got to stay at my school and they were forced to make the playground handicapped accessible for me and my other best friend CJ with Cerebral Palsy, and they had to get accessible equipment to climb the stairs inside so I could go to all of my classes. They surely hated that we won the case. The courts called it purely discrimination and nothing more, and each child should be treated equally and have an equal opportunity to get a proper education and have play-time. Even today each school in Floyd County, KY. MUST BE handicapped accessible to meet the needs of those with physical challenges and disabilities.
6 Comments
Nina Vaden
7/19/2020 03:40:06 pm
Reading news story brought me so much joy and tears you are such a brave woman right and I hope that my son can one night made a woman he is as strong as you my son is 13 years old he had cerebral palsy and epilepsy and I know that it's hard for him to school and I just pray that one day he finds a friend like Marissa God bless you stay strong a powerful I love you leaving you is story
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Hayley George
12/21/2020 12:48:12 pm
Thank you so much!!!
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Willard Watkins
7/19/2020 04:27:32 pm
I am glad to know that you and your parents won the lawsuit. It is hard for people with disabilities to socialize, when physical barriers or social norms block our ability to do so. I had a similar situation in school, mostly mainstreamed and I also have Cerebral Palsy. There were a few times that I was placed in a separate special education class. Bullying was common and I along with other students with disabilities were the target of the bullies. Wouldn't be nice if mainstreaming were the norm? We could be who we are. People, students, and the negative labels and bullying can end.
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Hayley George
12/21/2020 12:49:20 pm
Thank you for the kind words.
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William
7/19/2020 11:45:38 pm
Thanks for sharing your story. You'll be a model for my daughter to follow. I'll share it with her. Thanks again...
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Hayley George
12/21/2020 12:50:18 pm
Thank you for the kind words, love, and support!
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About the AuthorJust a simple small-town girl with big dreams, with an inspiring story to write and share. Archives
December 2020
CategoriesThe LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. |