HARRISBURG, Pa. — A private boarding school connected with the Hershey chocolate company says it was trying to protect other students when it denied admission to a Philadelphia- area teenager because he is HIV positive.
The AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania filed a suit on behalf of the unidentified boy in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia on Wednesday, claiming the Milton Hershey School for disadvantaged students violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
School officials acknowledged that the 13-year-old was denied admission because of his medical condition. They said they thought it was necessary to protect the health and safety of the 1,850 others enrolled in the residential institution.
Attorney Ronda Goldfein says her client requires no special accommodations. He is an honor-roll student and athlete who controls his HIV with medication that does not affect his school schedule, she said.
The Associated Press
