Teen with Asperger's says she was bullied while on high school color guard team

From The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa.:

The parents of a Cedar Cliff High School student have filed complaints with school officials and the state Human Relations Commission alleging that their daughter, who has a form of autism, was bullied by her peers and an instructor for the school's color guard.

Anita and Patrick Martin filed the complaints last week, the first with the West Shore School District. The complaints state that their daughter, Konstance Gregory (pictured), has been singled out for unfair treatment and has been called names, including "retard."

The Martins' case illustrates the growing number of issues that are arising as more special-needs students are mainstreamed into school classes and after-school activities, an advocacy organization for people with disabilities said.

A spokeswoman for the district would not comment on the Lower Allen Township family's complaints. But Cedar Cliff band director Ben Goldsborough said last week that statements made about instructor Brooke Feldman are "completely baseless." Repeated attempts by The Patriot-News to contact Feldman for comment have been unsuccessful.

Konstance, 14, a freshman at Cedar Cliff, has Asperger's syndrome.

Those with Asperger's typically are high-functioning but have trouble with social interactions and with taking social cues. They often perform in group activities, said Melissa Brown, a psychologist with the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities.

The family filed the other complaint with the Human Relations Commission, which enforces the state's anti-discrimination laws, asking it to look into the matter. Many such complaints end in private settlements, commission spokeswoman Shannon Powers said. However, some go to public hearings and result in legal orders, which are the "measures we feel would resolve the illegal discrimination and prevent it from recurring," Powers said.

Konstance is a member of the school's color guard and practiced with the squad all summer, her mother said. But the girl said Feldman did not allow her to practice with the guard during band camp in August. Instead, she said, she was told to sit in the grass and watch her peers learn routines for this year's marching-band season.

According to the complaint filed with the school district, Konstance said Feldman teased her for being albino and overweight and called her "so white she doesn't even fit on the white-scale spectrum." She also maintains that Feldman, 30, hasn't stopped other students from bullying her.

Feldman did not respond to a call to her home. At one point, Feldman e-mailed The Patriot-News to ask when this story would be published. She did not respond to three subsequent e-mails seeking comment, although she mentioned the e-mails and the potential for a story on her Facebook page.

Band director Goldsborough said the statements made about Feldman are "completely baseless." He said Feldman didn't stop Konstance from participating at practices.

"If the student was sitting in the grass, it was the student's choice," he said. "[Feldman] was never in a position where she would tell a student not to participate."

Goldsborough said marching band and color guard are like a sports team -- a student might be better suited for one position while less suited for another.

"Our primary goal is to make sure that Konstance is successful and that she feels good about the team," he said.

Goldsborough said any accusations of inappropriate behavior "are always investigated fully, and everything has been determined to be completely baseless."

Sallie Lynagh of the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania said her organization is hearing an increasing number of reports similar to Konstance's as youths with special needs are mainstreamed with other students. The network is a statewide federally mandated protection-and-advocacy group.

Although Lynagh was not familiar with the details of the Martins' complaints, she said a perceived lack of responsiveness is one of the greatest frustrations many families face.

"Families depend on the adults involved in these situations to model the right behavior and address the situation in ... a way that resolves it," Lynagh said. "One frustration is the perception and expression from those who they report to that ... a child should buck up and take it."

Lynagh, who is a children's team leader for the network, said the biggest issue she hears from schools is a need for more support -- such as additional resources, training and information from families -- to help incorporate special-needs students into regular classrooms and activities.

The Martins said their complaints were "brushed under the carpet" at a meeting with high school and West Shore School District officials on Aug. 18. Crista Degregorio, the district's spokeswoman, declined to comment on the meeting because it concerned a specific student.

Patrick Martin said the three-hour meeting addressed setting goals for Konstance's transition to high school but got "nowhere" in remedying concerns over how she is treated in extracurricular activities.