Brown University Required to Ensure Equal Access for Students with Mental Health Disabilities

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Wednesday, August 11, 2021

GoLocalProv News Team

The United States Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department this week announced a settlement agreement with Brown University to ensure that students with mental health disabilities have equal access to educational programs.

The agreement resolves the Department’s findings that Brown University violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by not allowing students who took medical leave for mental health reasons to return to school even though they were ready to return to campus life.

“Universities play a critical role in fulfilling the ADA’s promise of equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities. Instead of imposing extra barriers on students seeking to return to campus from medical leave, universities must reasonably accommodate students who are treating their mental health disabilities,” said Acting United States Attorney Richard Myrus.

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“I want to thank Brown University for its cooperation throughout our investigation and its willingness both to address the issues identified and to compensate the students who were wrongfully denied readmission," he continued. "The policies that Brown has agreed to implement should serve as a timely reminder to other colleges and universities to ensure that their medical leave policies must not discriminate against students with mental health disabilities.”

About Settlement

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Rhode Island, the settlement agreement protects the rights of students with mental health disabilities to have equal access to Brown’s educational programs. The agreement also ensures that Brown will make reasonable modifications to its policies for students with mental health disabilities seeking to return from medical leave.

Title III of the ADA requires places of public accommodation like colleges and universities to provide individuals with disabilities, including mental health disabilities, with an equal opportunity to participate in their programs and services. The ADA also requires colleges and universities to make reasonable modifications to their policies for students with disabilities when needed.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Justice Department’s investigation found that, between fall 2012 and spring 2017, dozens of undergraduate students were denied readmission to Brown after taking mental health-related medical leave. These students met the requirements for returning to Brown, and each of the students’ treatment providers reported to Brown that the students were ready to resume their studies and participate in campus life. Yet, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department found that Brown denied the students’ applications for readmission, depriving these students of the opportunity to participate in and benefit from Brown’s educational programs.

As a result of the agreement, Brown will:

• revise its undergraduate leave policies and practices to be consistent with Title III of the ADA;
• provide training on Title III of the ADA to all faculty and staff responsible for evaluating or making decisions about requests to take or return from leaves of absence; and
• pay $684,000 to compensate the undergraduate students who were harmed.

“Students with disabilities deserve access to equal opportunity to help ensure that they can achieve their educational goals. The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that colleges and universities do not exclude students on the basis of their disability or because they took time to receive the treatment they needed to thrive,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We will keep fighting to ensure equal access for students with mental health disabilities at colleges and universities across our country.”

This matter was handled jointly by Assistant United States Attorney Amy Romero of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island and the Disability Rights Section of the Department’s Civil Rights Division.

ADA Enforcement

July 26, 2021 marked the 31st Anniversary of the ADA. The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the nation’s goal of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit http://www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TDD 800-514-0383) or visit www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed online at http://www.ada.gov/complaint.

Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office Civil Rights Programs is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao-ri.

Emma Watson: Her History at Brown and in Providence

Orientation

Emma Watson begins her studies at Brown University in the fall of 2009.

Career

Emma Watson leaves Brown to focus on her acting career in the spring of 2011.

She spends the summer promoting "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" and collaborating on a fashion line with Alberta Ferretti.

Watson also begins filming "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" in June 2011.

There are rumors that she may transfer to another school.

Watson posted a message to her fans announcing her depature from Brown:

Hi everyone,

As you know, I love Brown and I love studying pretty much more than anything but recently I've had so much to juggle that being a student AND fulfilling my other commitments has become a little impossible.

I've decided to take a bit of time off to completely finish my work on Harry Potter (the last one comes out this summer) and to focus on my other professional and acting projects. I will still be working towards my degree... it’s just going to take me a semester or two longer than I thought : )

Hope you are all well! Thank you for all your continuing support.

Emma xx

Announces Her Return to Brown (False Alarm)

Emma Watson announces that she will be returning to her studies at Brown University in September 2011.

Leaving Brown

A spokeswoman for Watson said she will be transferring from Brown University and attending a different school in fall 2011.

The spokeswoman denied reports that the Harry Potter actress was “bullied out” of Brown. Instead, she said Watson will be pursuing a new source of studies that is not available at the Ivy League school.

The 21-year-old actress reportedly had “absolutely loved” being at Brown.

Oxford University

Emma Watson returns to the UK to study at Oxford University in October 2011.

Watson left Brown in April leaving a trail of rumors about her motivations, but she denied her departure from Brown having anything to do with rumors of bullying or teasing.

Announces Her Return to Brown (Again)

After two years away from Brown University, Emma Watson will return in January 2013 to resume her studies.

Fresh from her appearance in the film, "Perks of Being A Wallflower", Watson has also kept herself busy finishing up the Harry Potter series, cracking the books at Oxford, and working with director Sophia Coppola in the film, "The Bling Ring."

Commencement

Emma Watson graduates from Brown University with a degree in English Literature.

Photo courtesy of Emma Watson's Twitter