According to her father, a Haines City, Florida girl has been denied a high school diploma because a medical condition prevents her from running a mile. Randy Cliett says that his daughter, a senior at Lake Wales High School, was informed only four days prior to her planned graduation that she wouldn't receive a diploma due to her inability to meet the Physical Education requirement of running a mile.
Mr. Cliett says in The Ledger that, "My daughter was an honors student, received numerous awards at year end banquets, received a scholarship toward college for her efforts on the golf team... Her academics were outstanding, the problem is her inability on a physical level. Her medical condition prevented her from a requirement of physical education, running a mile. Because of this, she didn't get to graduate."
It is unclear at this point what Mr. Cliett's daughter's disability is, or whether or not she had an IEP, but one thing seems clear: With 1/2 credit of Physical Education required for graduation at Lake Wales, and given the young woman's place on the golf team, denying her a diploma on the basis of inability to run a mile seems ludicrous, and all the more so with only four days' notice to fight the decision or attempt to meet the standard.
What do you think?
