Thomas by and Through Thomas v. Davidson Academy

846 F. Supp. 611, 3 Am. Disabilities Cas. (BNA) 352, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3337, 1994 WL 90601
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Tennessee
DecidedFebruary 7, 1994
Docket3:94-0071
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 846 F. Supp. 611 (Thomas by and Through Thomas v. Davidson Academy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thomas by and Through Thomas v. Davidson Academy, 846 F. Supp. 611, 3 Am. Disabilities Cas. (BNA) 352, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3337, 1994 WL 90601 (M.D. Tenn. 1994).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

JOHN T. NIXON, Chief Judge.

On February 1, 1994, the Court held a consolidated trial and hearing pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 65(a)(2) on plaintiffs application for a preliminary injunction in the above-styled matter. Upon the evidence presented and argument of counsel, the Court makes the following Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, in accordance with Fed. R.Civ.P. 52 and 65(d).

I. FINDINGS OF FACT

1. Plaintiff Amy Thomas is a seventeen-year-old senior at Davidson Academy. Miss Thomas has attended Davidson Academy continuously since she was in the first grade and has fulfilled her academic requirements satisfactorily. She has participated on the basketball, track, and softball teams, and was voted “wittiest” in her senior class. Her school record reflects that prior to the 1993— 94 school year she sustained one disciplinary sanction, in the fall of 1992, for disrespectful behavior. She is expected to graduate at the end of the Spring 1994 semester, and plans to attend Western Kentucky University.

2. Defendant Davidson Academy is a Tennessee corporation which operates a private elementary and secondary school in Nashville, Tennessee. Davidson Academy is not affiliated with any particular church or religious organization. Davidson Academy is approved by the Tennessee Department of Education and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Davidson Academy participates in at least three *614 federally-funded programs. 1 In order to receive federal funds, Davidson Academy has provided written assurance that it is in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794. Davidson Academy sponsors out-of-state trips for its students for both educational and extracurricular activities, and provides transportation and faculty for such trips.

3. In November, 1993, Miss Thomas began experiencing severe bleeding from her cervical area and sought medical treatment. Miss Thomas was hospitalized on November 17, 1993, due to a dangerously low platelet count of only 3,000 platelets per mieroliter of blood. The range in a normal platelet count is between 150,000 and 400,000 platelets per microliter of blood. An individual with a platelet count of 3,000 is at risk for spontaneous hemorrhaging. During Miss Thomas’ hospitalization, she was diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura [“ITP”].

4. ITP is a serious autoimmune disease, affecting the hemic or blood system, wherein the immune system develops antibodies to and destroys its own platelets. A person with ITP is susceptible to life-threatening bleeding or hemorrhaging and must take great care to avoid, and promptly attend to, even seemingly minor physical traumas that are a part of daily life. ITP is not contagious.

5. During Miss Thomas’ hospitalization commencing on November 17, Miss Thomas received two treatments of intravenous gamma globulin which raised her platelet count to 12,000 by the time she was released after a four-day stay. Two days after her release, however, Miss Thomas began suffering from a nose bleed. After being taken to a doctor, it was determined that Miss Thomas’ platelet count had fallen to 10,000. She was readmitted to the hospital and treated with steroids and other medical therapies. When such treatments failed to control her condition, Miss Thomas underwent surgery on November 30, 1993, to remove her spleen. Ms. Thomas’ spleen was removed in an effort to halt the destruction of platelets by Miss Thomas’ own immune system. During this time, Miss Thomas missed several weeks of classes at Davidson Academy. She returned to school on December 8, 1993.

6. As a result of her ITP, Miss Thomas must visit her physician, pediatric hematologist Dr. James Gay, on a weekly basis to check her platelet count. She also regularly receives follow-up treatment from her surgeon. Miss Thomas must take penicillin, iron supplements, and other prescription medications to prevent routine infections, anemia, and bleeding which could result in serious injury or death. On occasion, Miss Thomas has also been required to receive additional treatments of intravenous gamma globulin.

7. On January 5,1994, Miss Thomas visited Dr. Gay for her weekly platelet count. Although Miss Thomas’ platelet count had risen to the normal range after her surgery, it was falling again and had dropped to a level below the normal range. Miss Thomas was advised and aware of her falling platelet count. In addition, Miss Thomas was again experiencing severe bleeding from her cervical area, at a time when such bleeding should not occur. Dr. Gay has reported that a person suffering from ITP can experience a rapid reduction in the platelet count overnight.

8. Davidson Academy had been informed about Miss Thomas’ condition during or soon after her November, 1993, hospitalizations and surgery. According to Mr. Art Mayer-nick, principal of Davidson Academy, he knew and was “worried” about Miss Thomas’ condition. Similarly, Mr. Bill Chaney, the headmaster at Davidson Academy, reported that he was aware that Miss Thomas had been in the hospital and had a serious medical condition. Furthermore, Mr. Chaney noted that her medical condition was “well-known.”

*615 9. On Friday, January 7, 1994, while in art class at Davidson Academy, Miss Thomas accidentally cut herself with an exacto knife while working on an art project. Ms. Sherry Slocum, Miss Thomas’ art teacher, described Miss Thomas’ reaction to her injury as “hysterical,” noting that she was crying and scared, and that she used two expletives. According to Ms. Slocum, Miss Thomas exclaimed, “Oh my God, I cut myself, I’m going to die.”

10. After wrapping her finger in a tissue, Miss Thomas went to the school office. At the office, she saw Mrs. Becky LeGate, the Student Life Coordinator at Davidson Academy. According to Mrs. LeGate, Miss Thomas was still crying and visibly upset, and Mrs. LeGate described her reaction as “hysterical.” Mrs. LeGate requested Miss Thomas’ authorization to call her mother, Ms. Janice Thomas, but Miss Thomas stated that she did not want to cause her mother to become upset. Mrs. LeGate notified the school nurse, Mrs. Nancy Scott, who arrived soon after. Mrs. LeGate then left the office, after being summoned to attend to other business.

11. While extremely agitated, Miss Thomas informed Mrs. Scott that she has ITP, and tried to convey to her the severity of her condition. Mrs. Scott attempted to place a gauze bandage on Miss Thomas’ finger, but Miss Thomas expressed fear that the treatment might hurt her. Although Mrs. Scott noted the absence of any significant amount of blood, Mrs. Scott determined that the wound might require stitches and that Miss Thomas needed to be seen by a physician. Nevertheless, Mrs. Scott told Miss Thomas that the cut was not so bad and that she was not going to bleed to death. According to Mrs. Scott, in her experience, “All it takes is a comment to make an excited patient more excited.” However, in response to Mrs.

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Bluebook (online)
846 F. Supp. 611, 3 Am. Disabilities Cas. (BNA) 352, 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 3337, 1994 WL 90601, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thomas-by-and-through-thomas-v-davidson-academy-tnmd-1994.