19-year-old, who cannot read or write, sues school for $3 million over harassment, neglect

The complainant alleges she graduated from the high school without being able to read and write.

A 19-year-old Hartford Public School student, who has a disability and says she graduated without the ability to read or write, has filed a lawsuit claiming she was bullied, harassed and neglected by the staff, including her special education case manager.

Complainant Aleysha Ortiz (CT Mirror)

Aleysha Ortiz has filed the lawsuit against the manager, local board of education and the City of Hartford, CT Mirror reported.

Ortiz has sought $3 million (approx. ₹25.5 crore) in damages, her attorney Anthony Spinella said.

“We're not suing for any services. We're not suing for their inability to teach her (Ortiz) basic skills. We're suing for the emotional damage caused when she went through the processes of trying to get (the district) to help her and how she was treated by some of the administrators and teachers,” he told the website.

This is the second lawsuit filed by Ortiz against the same respondents. In the first, she sought services to learn how to read and write, and do other things she wasn't taught in the public school system.

That complaint is still in process, as per the report.

In the fresh one, Ortiz has accused Tilda Santiago, the special education case manager, of “bullying and harassing me for several months.”

The complaint states Santiago “exhibited controlling and possessive behaviour with teachers who would speak to or help Ortiz and engage in conflict with those teachers.”

Santiago is also accused of humiliating the high schooler in front of others, intimidating her, “stalking” her and altering her attendance records.

On the other hand, people employed under the Hartford Board of Education have been accused of not taking timely and appropriate action to address the misconduct against Ortiz.