Opinion ID: 628999
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Accommodations Made

Text: 13 Prior to freshman registration in the fall 1988, McGregor asked that the Law Center accommodate his disability by permitting him to be a part-time student. The Law Center said no and told him that it had made an academic decision that a full-time freshman schedule is required. Instead, the Law Center made two accommodations for the upcoming freshman year: a handicapped parking permit and, upon McGregor's request toward the end of the first semester, additional time to complete his Criminal Law Examination. 5 14 McGregor's overall GPA for the first semester was 61, below the required 65. McGregor, therefore, was supposed to sit out the second semester, reapply for admission, and wait an additional year to return. Instead, during the spring 1989 semester, the Law Center permitted McGregor to audit Professor Devlin's Constitutional Law I, along with a Legal Writing and Research class. 6 The Law Center also assigned Professor Devlin with the specific task of providing McGregor with concentrated and individualized tutorial instruction. Devlin attested that he spent one hour each week working with McGregor outside class, which is considerably more time than he has ever spent with any other student. McGregor received a grade of 70 in Constitutional Law I and passed Legal Writing and Research. However, according to McGregor, these passing grades were at the expense of losing full use of his legs. Toward the end of the spring semester, McGregor's treating physician, Dr. Charles Kennon, authorized a wheelchair, apparently only for endurance purposes. Regardless of the reason, McGregor needed a wheelchair by May 1989. 15 The Law Center eventually readmitted McGregor as a freshman on scholastic probation for the fall 1989 semester, without waiting an additional year after reapplying to return. In a letter dated June 27, 1989, Professor Howard W. L'Enfant, then also the Chairman of the Admissions Committee, informed McGregor of his readmittance under the following conditions: 16 1. You shall forfeit all credits and quality credits previously earned and shall begin anew as a first year student in the curriculum in effect for 1989-90. 17 2. You shall be on scholastic probation, and required to earn an average of 68 or better during each of the next two semesters. 18 3. You shall carry a full load of work during each of the next two semesters. 19 4. You will not be permitted to engage in any outside work during the fall semester 1989 and spring semester 1990. 20 In addition to early readmittance, the Law Center made other adjustments for McGregor during this next semester. Prior to the 1989-90 academic year, the Law Center sent McGregor a proposed schedule of first year classes. It is undisputed that classes were switched so that he would attend them in the new instead of the old building, for easier access with a wheelchair. To accommodate further his wheelchair, the Law Center acquired special handicapped tables for the classrooms and removed the inner door in the first floor bathroom. Throughout the year, many of McGregor's professors assisted him with his academic work outside of class. 7 21 In the fall 1989, McGregor was allowed to take three of his examinations at home. In the fourth course (Criminal Law), he was allowed eight hours, instead of the usual four, to complete the examination. When examinations came around in the spring 1990 semester, McGregor requested the same arrangements for at-home examinations. Katherine Spaht, as Vice-Chancellor, responded to McGregor's requests by providing alternative accommodations that the Law Center determined were reasonable while still maintaining the integrity of the examination process. The Law Center gave McGregor: (1) extra examination time; (2) a choice of taking the exams on the first or third floor; (3) a room equipped with a handicapped table, a special bench from the library, a typewriter and/or dictaphone; (4) a student proctor to take care of his personal needs as well as assisting him with the men's rest room door; (5) permission to eat and drink in the room to maintain his sugar level. 22 McGregor did not meet the Law Center's probationary requirements. Although McGregor received a 70.2 in the fall semester, he received an average of 65.53 in the spring semester. The acceptable minimum GPA on probation for each semester is a 68. McGregor again faced flunking out of law school. And again, McGregor petitioned the Law Center for more accommodations. 23 In response to the spring 1990 petition, the Law Center agreed to readmit McGregor for the 1990-91 academic year as a first year student subject to two conditions. These conditions were first spelled out in the August 20 letter sent by Katherine Spaht, Vice-Chancellor, to McGregor: 24 1. permission and encouragement to audit the course in Criminal Law during the fall semester 1990, if, your physical condition permits; and 25 2. during the second semester, a course load for credit of the four courses in which you made a grade of less than 68 in spring, 1990 (Obligations, Property, Constitutional Law I, Torts II), unless a committee to be appointed by the Chancellor alter[s] the conditions of readmission for the second semester. You will be timely notified of any such change. 26 McGregor was unsatisfied and sent a letter renewing his demands for advancement to the junior level in addition to a reduced schedule. For the first time, he threatened litigation. The Law Center responded to each of the items listed by McGregor as a good faith offer to settle this controversy. The Law Center stood by their August 17, 1990 decision that McGregor be readmitted as a freshman. The faculty committee, however, did perhaps the next best thing and reduced his schedule to make room for junior level courses. Under the new modified schedule, McGregor needed to take only Constitutional Law and Obligations in the spring 1991, scheduled so that he had a day between classes for rest or treatment. Torts and Civil Law Property could be taken in the spring 1992. Moreover, McGregor could take one junior preference course in the summer 1991 and one or two junior preference courses in the fall 1991. If McGregor attained an average of at least 68 in the four first year courses, he could proceed to the junior year; grades in the junior preference courses would not be considered in determining his eligibility to enroll in any semester up to and including the spring 1992 semester. The faculty committee also determined that McGregor could take his examinations at home in the presence of a proctor from the Law Center. After they wrote, McGregor sued them.