U.S. sues university for banning dog from student housing

[lickety_split]

The University of Nebraska won't allow a student suffering from anxiety and depression to keep her therapy dog in student housing.

Comments

[saintly_heretic]

" Butch, a 4-pound miniature pinscher is trained to put his front paws on Brittany Hamilton's shoulders to help calm her when she suffers a panic attack " omg. that is the most precious thing ever. dead.

[pommedeterre]

:')

[vulturoso]

I feel like a dog doing that, sincerely, to me during a panic attack would 100% kill me dead of cuteness.

[ennifer_jay]

Ikr. It would be like OMGPANICPANICPANICPANICPANIC-d'awwwwwww :) hi! wanna play?!

[roseofjuly]

Hell to the fuck yeah. A lot of people with disabilities train their own service dogs.

"In essence, anyone can have their doctor say they are anxious and need to have their dog, cat, snake, or monkey, etc.," Horn wrote Cheryl Bressington, the campus affirmative action coordinator, according to the complaint.

FIRE THIS PERSON. What kind of affirmative action coordinator would say that? Do they think that people are really on a mission to get their physicians to lie for them? Snakes are not trained to become therapy animals; monkeys are often illegal for private persons to own and are also not trained to become therapy animals. A documented medical history is not 'their doctor saying that they are anxious.'

GAH.

And shit, I wish my school let me have a dog. I'm a graduate housing director at my university but we live in the halls with the students and we're not allowed pets either, other than fish. I would like a doggie :(

Bressington rejected Hamilton's request to accommodate Butch, saying the school was not required to

[archanglrobriel]

FIRE THIS PERSON. What kind of affirmative action coordinator would say that? Do they think that people are really on a mission to get their physicians to lie for them?

THIS. So much, this. This is how she gets around saying "I don't believe mental health related issues are real." Because we all know she doesn't believe it would be possible for a student to go into a doctor and claim to be vision impaired just to get a seeing eye dog....but for mental health? Oh yeah, you can....because you know, they're just made up anyway.
She really does need to be SO VERY FIRED.

[saintly_heretic]

"In essence, anyone can have their doctor say they are anxious and need to have their dog, cat, snake, or monkey, etc.," yes this one bothered me too. it's pretty flippant.

[skunk]

i just got done arguing with a grade A asshole about something very similar, so all i have to say is this. I AM SO FUCKING SICK OF MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES NOT BEING TAKEN FUCKING SERIOUSLY BY SO MANY GODDAMN PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS. So tired of watching those who suffer with these issues get shit upon because people don't think mental health problems can be a real disability.

this kind of crap makes me rage. but hey, they can make an exception if you're a graduate student. have a disabling case of depression and anxiety and need a service dog? lolol no can do, it might open up a can of worms and someone will need a monkey!!

[foureyedgirl]

ITFA with every part of this comment

[ennifer_jay]

10000000000000000% in agreement with you, omg. Seriously drives me up a wall. My mental illness is so fucking debilitating, jfc. It wasn't until I began recognizing my mental illness as a disability that I felt more empowered. I stopped blaming myself for everything that I couldn't do.

[xdistantmemory]

Preach!

[archanglrobriel]

Ugh. This seems to be to be yet another round of "mental illnesses aren't REAL and so we shouldn't have to accommodate them!" Their whole "can of worms" statement really hacks me off. No, you stupid person, not just "anybody" can get their "dog, cat, snake or monkey" signed off on as a therapy animal if you admit that some people with severe anxiety disorders DO require therapy animals

[xerox78]

I graduated from high school almost 15 years ago and I still haven't completed my undergrad. It took me 6 years just for an associate's degree and I barely got that. I told very few people that I struggled so much because of depression. Whenever anyone asked what the deal was, I blamed it on money (which was partially true). Once in a while, I'd tell someone that I kept getting sick. They would assume my illness was physical and I would let them. I went back to school three years ago, but I'm still at least 2.5 years from my bachelor's and probably closer to 4.

[theguindo]

Oh my god I am so glad to find somebody else who took 6 years to get an associate's. I JUST FINISHED, this semester, and I'm so relieved and yet also ashamed because it took me so long. Social anxiety/depression made it really difficult for me, and I don't know if I'll ever go back for my bachelor's, really.

I just tell people I couldn't handle a normal courseload or that it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do (which is true), because if I say that I failed/had to drop classes due to anxiety/depression every semester then all I get is the "SON I AM DISAPPOINT," as if my emotional state is not a valid reason for anything.

[hashishinahooka]

*hugs*

I get the "SON I AM DISAPPOINT" from my professors, and it really makes things so much worse. They'll tell me that I'm intelligent, and that everything is so easy, so there's no reason for me to do poorly. I also had another professor go off on me for missing class one day (I was physically tired that morning) and tell me that I was slipping. It's the worst. I don't really need people berating me for something I haven't yet learn to control.

[jwaneeta]

She should transfer to UNO and move in with me. I live pretty close to campus and I'd welcome her doggie.