Diabetic boy's parents fight school over exercise

PHILADELPHIA — Jack McLaughlin is a bright, articulate Lionville Middle School sixth-grader whose main mission these days, along with schoolwork, is keeping his blood sugar under control.

Since his diabetes was diagnosed last year when he was 10, the Chester County, Pa., boy has mastered the tedious process of managing the chronic illness, using a beeper-size, computerized pump that injects insulin into his bloodstream. Counting grams of carbohydrates in order to program the pump with the correct dosage has become as much a part of his daily life as getting dressed and brushing his teeth.

At school, where Jack is one of perhaps a half-dozen diabetic pupils, teachers and the school nurse have pitched in to help. Classmates have accepted the situation — he says they even make bets on his blood-sugar levels — and Jack stays active in sports and other activities.

One unresolved issue, however, has sparked a confrontation between Jack's parents and the Downingtown Area School District. It has to do with exercise.

The dispute is headed for a hearing to determine whether the 1,500-student school is complying with a federal law that gives students with diabetes and other disabilities the right to an equal education.

Cathy and David McLaughlin, Jack's parents, say that to maintain his health and the alertness needed to do well in school, he needs physical-education class every morning instead of the usual two days in every six. The exercise, they say, would help counter an after-breakfast sugar spike. It would mean skipping required music and reading-skills classes that alternate with gym.

Jack agrees. When he has gym class, and when he had daily recess in elementary school, he said, "I did feel a lot better. I could tell that.… I don't see what the big deal is: If I were to do this, I would not be missing important classes."

The district proposed other ways to help Jack control his blood sugar, but turned down daily gym, saying the McLaughlins had not shown that Jack needed it to fully participate in school. The McLaughlins filed for a "due-process" hearing, where a state-selected hearing officer will weigh the arguments and issue a decision. The hearing is scheduled for Dec. 16.

At issue is how to interpret Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires that schools provide "services designed to meet the student's individual educational needs as adequately as the needs of nondisabled students are met," according to the federal Department of Education.

The law is a familiar fixture in schools, mandating accommodations so that students with conditions ranging from hearing and sight impairment to epilepsy and asthma can get equal access to education.