West Tennessee high school faces backlash after students with disabilities were isolated from graduating class

A West Tennessee school is facing backlash, including a petition to remove its principal, after three students were not allowed to sit with their classmates at graduation.

During graduation last Friday, May 17, three students at Greenfield High School in Greenfield, Tenn., were told they would not be allowed to walk or join their classmates due to concerns over their disabilities. The students, Savannah Jenkins, Kennedy Lee and Chelsea Pence, had to sit separately from the rest of the student body during the ceremony.

Greenfield is a city of about 2,000 people in Weakly County. It is located about one hour directly north of Jackson, Tenn. and about two hours northwest of Memphis.

According to Lee's mother and cousin, the principal of the school was concerned that if one of them fainted or had an accident walking across the stage it would cause a disturbance for other students.

Here is what we know about the situation.

Parents said principal wouldn't let students participate

In a Facebook post detailing the incident, Kennedy Lee's mother, Carla Lee, explained the series of events that led up to her daughter and two other students not walking at graduation.

Kennedy Lee and Chelsea Pence both have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS. The syndrome affects heartrate and causes fainting spells, so there are instances when wheelchair use is necessary. Savannah Jenkins, the third student, has epilepsy which can make her more prone to seizures.

On the Tuesday before graduation, Lee and her mother were informed by Jamie Doster, Greenfield High School's principal, that she and two other students would be using a wheelchair at graduation and not able to walk due to safety concerns.

"I told her that Kennedy would be perfectly capable of walking," Carla Lee said. "I even told her I would sign something saying we would not hold the school liable if she were to pass out and get hurt."

Lee even received approval from her doctor to walk across the stage at graduation, but that didn't convince Doster to allow her to walk, Carla Lee said.

Doster was talked down from making the girls use wheelchairs, but they were told they would have to sit in the bleachers with the crowd. The girls would be allowed to walk the stage on the condition that a nurse accompanied them.

According to Lee's mother, Doster told the two women that she couldn't have the students fainting and on the floor as it would disrupt the ceremony and she would have to have someone come get them off the floor. After much back and forth, Doster told the girls she would allow them to practice walking with their classmates during the rehearsal, but when it came time to practice, they were put in the bleachers with a nurse sitting behind them.

During the actual ceremony, the three students were put at the back of the line and walked in a group to the side. They were seated in the bleachers with nurses at their sides instead of on the floor with their classmates.

Carla Lee said this was one of the few chances they had to be a part of their class. "My heart hurts for these girls and their experience for what should have been the biggest night of their life."

Graduation incident prompts heated public response

In response to the graduation, a petition was started calling for the immediate removal of the principal, Jamie Doster, and better policies to protect students with disabilities. The petition was started by Hannah Adams, Kennedy Lee's cousin. As of Wednesday afternoon, the petition has 2,075 signatures.

Greenfield Highschool's Facebook page has started limiting comments on posts after it was flooded with comments upset over the principal's decision.

Local newspaper The Dresden Enterprise, first reported the incident. A Facebook post on their account drew more than 100 comments in support of the students.

Weakly County Schools response to the backlash

In response, Weakly County's Director of Schools Jeff Cupples shared the following statement: "All of Weakley County Schools’ graduation ceremonies are planned to ensure the safety of all participants. Additionally, upholding student privacy and confidentiality is a fundamental priority and responsibility of our district. While we respect public interest, privacy and confidentiality precludes discussion of personal information about students.”

The statement goes on to say that Weakley County Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, disability, national origin, gender, age, political affiliation, or beliefs.

Violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act?

Several users noted that not allowing the students to walk was in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Title III of the ADA says that public accommodations must comply with basic nondiscrimination requirements that prohibit exclusion, segregation and unequal treatment.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is a federal law that prohibits disability-based discrimination and harassment in all programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance from the United States Department of Education.

Section 504 states: "No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States...shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Tennessee students isolated from graduating class prompting backlash