ScholarOne - An Analysis of the Office for Civil Rights Resolutions for
Non-Compliance Concerning Service Animals in preK-12 Schools
Abstract
As the use of service animals becomes more common in preK-12 schools,
school administrators are realizing the need to develop more effective
and legal policies and procedures (P&Ps) for their integration. A
document analysis of 24 Office for Civil Rights complaints provides an
overview of common incidents of discrimination that can help improve
P&Ps. The most common discrimination found were the exclusion of
animals with their handlers, extra standards of care, requiring prior
permission, using intrusive questions, hostile environments, higher
standards of documentation, and inadequate grievance policies. These
common discriminations are used to give proactive recommendations for
P&P integration.