College student sues after being denied extra time to complete test

The learning disabled student wanted double time to finish the exam, but Princeton said no. The school ended up giving her 50% more time, but that didn't satisfy her. (Princeton Packet)

Comments

[Joe]

Ugh. People like this make me sick. A mild form of Dyslexia and ADHD? And she claims disability? Yes dyslexia is hard, but seriously, you're a grown woman complaining about ADHD? Stop pretending to be a victim.

At my college, the only people given extra time on exams are the foreign nationals who don't have English as a first language. And even they only get 50% more time.

Any prospective employers should see this and take caution. Why the hell would you ever want to hire someone who's going to need to be coddled and treated specially? Also, the criteria for you getting your degree is lower than that of your peers, what does that do to the validity of theirs?

I know some people who work in special education, and yes, our system is pretty broken. But this is NOT the way to fix it.

[sometimesilie]

I thought Princeton was an ultra-competitive school? Best and the best and all that. I'm sorry, but I'm not seeing the point of them lowering their standards. Clearly this 'disabled' woman can't hack it there. There are plenty of state and community schools for her to attend.

[KDP]

She should hook up with one of those diploma mills that advertise on television.

[sometimesilie]

The more I think of this, the more I think, what crap. What a whiny little prima donna. I bet some kid busting his/her ass to work their way full-time through college wouldn't get extra time. Its everybody's fault but hers that she can't hack it. So the logical course of action is to sue.

[RockyMtnMac]

Haha! Wait 'til she sues the crap out of some company for not giving her a job..

[johnjohn]

Some people just are not college material.

Going to an prestigious private school is not a right.

I think the comments about future employment are quite insightful.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend everyone!

[AngrySockMonkey]

Great, No only are you a dumb ass. you have to sue to prove to the world that you are the victim.

[thomas]

What would the problem be in giving everyone twice the amount of time to finish a test??
Excellence takes time!

[Bill]

Jim--

I was writing a long thoughtful comment and typepad timed out because i can't think as quickly as the normal posters.

Please remit $1,000,000.00 via PayPal to rectify the situation.

Thanks
Bill

[Me]

The real world does not allow extra time.

If you were a doctor and a patient comes in bleeding to death on the table, every second counts. You don't get extra time to save that person's life just because of a disability.

If someone is trapped in a burning building and their life is in danger you don't get extra time to save them and pull them out before the fire consumes them.

Hell, even in less life or death situations people do not get extra time. If you're cashing out in a store are you willing to wait twice as long in a line because a cashier needs twice as long as everyone else to ring you out?

[American Veteran]

She needs to go on a date and get her hyphen busted.

[Bill]

Thomas

Here is the problem....if everyone gets an hour, she feels she is entitled to two hours.

If you give everyone two hours, she will feel entitled to four hours.

And if you give everyone four hours.......................

[thomas]

Bill;
Here's another problem,,,,you judge her as a prima dona diva who might wish more specialized treatment no matter what compromise was offered.
You may be right. She does have a hyphenated name after all.
It was remiss of the article not to mention her course of study or major.

[Phranqlin]

Dollars to donuts, Little Miss Entitlement is a legacy student who got into Princeton because her parents donated a shitload of money.

She needs to transfer and free up a slot for someone more deserving who can actually handle the workload.

[ellen]

The whole 'disability' thing has gotten out of control anyway. And there is still no hard evidence, medically speaking, to prove that supposed 'conditions' such as ADD/ADHD even exist.

[mybrainhurts]

She's been given special privilege all her life, or at least in secondary school. It doesn't surprise me at all that she would expect that to continue in college. But a lawsuit? Really?

It looks like Princeton tried to accommodate her. College isn't like secondary school. The real world isn't like secondary school. If you're faced with a deadline at work, chances are you're not going to get an extension just because you have dyslexia. It's time to learn some new strategies for success.

[Sheila]

I want to sing at the Met. The fact that I cannot sing as well as Renee Fleming shouldn't be a factor, so I'll sue if they don't allow me to be Mimi. I want that level playing field!!

[mybrainhurts]

As an aside, timed fact regurgitation sucks. There are ways around it that open the door to actual thought AND would help accommodate students like this. I had a timed test in college where we were given questions a week ahead of time. Three of the questions would actually appear on the test. We were free to spend as much time as we wanted during that week to prepare answers for any or all of the questions.

Of course, she might complain that she wasn't given TWO weeks...

[me2]

OK, PU has set up policies that help students with disabilities. This lady not only whats to be treated different from other students, but different from other students with disabilities. And you all are right, she will end up suing some company because they don't give her more time to do her job.

This is the real world, either live in it or get on SSI and forget school and work. BTW, I feel for those with disabilities, but not when they try to use it to get their own way.

[behindbj]

I'm surprised that she hasn't asked for twice the time to turn in her homework, what with her disabilities and her being a player on the intercollegiate soccer team.

She has disabilities so severe she needs twice the time to complete tests, but manages to do all of her other homework, which presumably contains papers and other things that involve writing and thinking while being a member of the intercollegiate soccer team.

Fail.

[RockyMtnMac]

Well, I want to sing at the Met, and I want a 45 million dollar signing bonus to do it! Haha- Or I will sue!
This is fricking awesome!

[thomas]

@Sheila & mybrainhurts;
Carnegie Hall = practice!
Thank you for somewhat agreeing with my defence of timed testing, and the real world scenario where hastily made conclusions don't always add up to the best answers. Consider Washington.
Dyslexia and ADHD are not a disease, they are conditions.
Practice is the medicine. Check my spelling, and train of thought.

RMM; Will you sing or howl at my wake?
I have $46.20

[BlueMary]

Thinking about a co-worker from days gone by. He had cerebral palsy and was in a wheelchair.

It took a little practice to get used to his speech, but nobody finished his sentences for him. It was uncomfortable, a little, to watch him struggle with his papers during meetings, but nobody took them out of his hands to fiddle with them for him.

He was in logistics, planning how to get stacks of stuff from point a to point b. He was really good at figuring out how to get around obstacles, how to deal with potential delays, accidents, and interruptions.And he *always* had a Plan B (and usually Plans C through Z)

A good guy. A good co-worker.

[Charles]

Just hand her a diploma already and shove her out onto the unemployment line. She will be eaten alive in the real world!

[Tom Weidermeijer]

But she is the VICTIM and ENTITLED! Screw her... in half the time.

[thomas]

But she is the VICTIM and ENTITLED! Screw her... in half the time.

Posted by: Tom Weidermeijer

My patience is overwhelmed.
Go preist on buddy!
And when that dosen't work,,,do yourself! Doubletime.

[PMN]

If students who are not otherwise qualified or require specific advantages are admitted to colleges/universities, they must receive the requisite breaks or there's a strong likelihood they will not graduate. This is true with "race-sensitive admissions" where at Berkeley only 30% of black students admitted graduate. It's a touchy topic. Anyhow, this kid is on the soccer team. Look at all your NCAA men's programs. Most of those guys would not be at the schools they play for on the basis of their high school grades and test scores- which still are the best indicator on whether or not one will succeed. Of course, the male athletes pull in enormous revenue for the schools. Lo and behold, they usually last as long as their eligibility allows (unless there is a pro career in their future).

Here's a photo of the young athlete-scholar

[me2]

I'm a poor, unemployed , old white guy. I'm suing because nobody will help me.

[thomas]

PMN;
which still are the best indicator on whether or not one will succeed. Posted by: PMN

You are in desperate need of a new ruler, as well as an alternative way of viewing success, or failure.
As far as I know, this woman's shortcomings have never caused her to score an accidental goal for the opposing team, though you liken her to NCAA mens's programs, black men, and try to make a comparison.
Somehow, you wish to make her apply to the same standard, when the guys that are not held accountable for grades but are accepted for revenue gleaned, and fade into obscurity when drafts picks fail them and academic acheivement is not required or fought for.
This is NOT a race or sex issue.

[fredzilla]

I'm almost 40 and got an unofficial diagnosis from a psychologist who moonlights as a comedian specializing in comedy hypnosis shows. I'm at least borderline "ADHD"... and you know what it means for me? I can focus on multiple things at the same time and keep my attention focused very easily. The dyslexia might make her need extra time. The ADHD, if it affects her like it affects me would make it more likely she'd finish tests early... My classmates at college get annoyed with me because I go in, get the test usually last because I'm at the back of the room, and I finish with it a good 15 to 20 minutes before anyone else does.

At worst these things should balance out...

I just remembered a prime example of my multi-tasking... When I have nothing else to do, I chat in a chatroom to one person, talk on msn messenger to someone else, talk on yahoo to someone else... and check various websites in another tab. And don't lose the threads of any of the conversations.

[Sheila]

Now I've decided I want to sing the tenor part, not the soprano part in La Boheme. To deny me that right would be sexist and not diverse, so I'll sue if I don't get my way.

[PMN]

Thomas, "alternative way of viewing success"? That can be crafted just about any way you want. And when the goal is equal results, the cheap glory may feel good in the short term if thats the mud in which you wish your tires (and all others) to spin, but it ultimately fails.

[LMNinMN]

Anyone else think this chic looks like Reagan from The Exorcist?

[kestrelmas]

/sighs.

I have a good friend with ADHD and dyslexia. She's about ten years older than Princeton girl. She also holds two degrees (going for a third), because she wants to become a teacher. She never asks/asked for special accomodations for tests.

She instead takes her meds like she's supposed to, and chooses not to drink alcohol (it interferes with the meds). Something tells me Princess didn't want to give up drinking in college, so she's dealing with the full effects of her disorders and throwing a pacifier-waving temper tantrum.

[thomas]

PMN;
Glory never comes cheaply, and anyone striving for it personnaly has already defeated themselves.
It's earned.
Time matters not.
Odd how we strive at legacy.

[PMN]

What were you shooting for there, Thomas? A disjointed Haiku?

[d. anders]

I don't know about this particular person but I can tell you that there are people who are highly intelligent that have issues related to "processing time" in the brain. This can be caused by an injury to the brain, or just be genetic. For example, I know someone who can do the highest levels of Calculus, but on a timed test...needs more time to complete the problem....when given more time she will complete them ALL correctly. My suspicion is that most of the writers on this blog given three days couldn't complete those questions! Why don't you all get educated on the subject that you are making jokes about!!!