Update (click on the link to see a pic of the girl and her dog):

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/9342638.htm

Posted on Sat, Aug. 07, 2004

Rockcastle superintendent gets word from doctor, opens doors

By Bill Estep

A 7-year-old girl was finally allowed into Mount Vernon Elementary School yesterday with her service dog after her doctor attested she needed the animal.

In a case that angered advocates for the disabled, Rockcastle Schools Superintendent Larry Hammond had prevented Cheyenne Gilliam from going to class Wednesday and Thursday with her dog, saying he was concerned about safety and liability issues such as other students being allergic to the dog or afraid of it.

Hammond said he would let the girl and her dog into school after Cheyenne's pediatrician sent him a letter confirming the girl's health condition and the medical need for the dog.

Cheyenne's doctor in Bowling Green faxed the letter yesterday morning, and Hammond let Cheyenne and her dog into school about 10:30 a.m., said her mother, Jennifer Gilliam.

"This should settle all of this," Gilliam said. "She's in school and will be every day from now on."

Gilliam said the short letter from Dr. Kelly Kries confirmed that she had treated Cheyenne, that the girl is on medication for a seizure disorder, and that in the doctor's opinion it was medically necessary for Chey-enne to have the dog with her.

The dog, a 55-pound Weim-araner named Mikki, is trained to sense when Cheyenne is about to have a seizure and warn her by licking her hands so that she can lie or sit down. The dog then stays with Cheyenne to comfort and protect her during the episode.

There was one last bump yesterday. Gilliam took Cheyenne and Mikki to school, as she had vowed to do every day until they were admitted, but Hammond hadn't gotten the letter yet and wouldn't allow the girl and her dog into class when school opened.

"What is wrong with me that they won't let me in here," asked Cheyenne, who was upset and crying, Gilliam said. Her parents assured her that the problem was not with her, but a lack of understanding about the dog, her mother said.

Later, Cheyenne was "ecstatic" about being allowed into class with her dog, her mother said.

"When they said she could go in, she just smiled," Gilliam said.

Hammond said advocates for people with disabilities pelted him with critical e-mail messages. He said that he was not trying to hurt Cheyenne or her family, but that he has an obligation to make sure the school is safe for all students.

Robert Tierney, recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice as a specialist on accessibility issues for a wide range of clients, volunteered to help the Gilliams and went to school with them yesterday morning to meet with Hammond.

Tierney, of Stanford, said the law is clear that people who use service animals are not required to show proof of their disability or need for the animal, or of the animal's training. It was "clearly out of bounds" to require such proof before allowing Cheyenne and Mikki into school, he said.

However, Tierney said, it is a good idea to provide such documentation, which the Gilliams were willing to do, in order to allay concerns.

Tierney said having Chey-enne in school with her dog will be a great example to other students. He also said he hoped the case will educate schools, businesses and others in the state about the law and use of service animals.