Deaf girl's family sues [Girl] Scouts for disbanding troop

[CactusCarlos]

Megan Runnion, who is deaf, can't understand the hallway chatter of her classmates at her elementary school, but for six years her Girl Scout troop gave her a social life in the hearing world.

The local Girl Scouts council paid for a sign-language interpreter to attend Megan's Girl Scout meetings, a camping trip and other outings.

But a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday on the 12-year-old's behalf alleged that the Girl Scouts abruptly disbanded Megan's Schaumburg troop early this year in retaliation for her mother's efforts to keep the 100-year-old organization paying for the interpreter.

The suit alleged that the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana excluded Megan because of her disability in violation of the federal Rehabilitation Act.

Rest at link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-girl-scouts-deaf-lawsuit-0802-20120802,0,7032878.story

The "War on Women" is alive and well in the Girl Scouts of America.

[franksolich]

I have problems with the way the parents are raising this girl.

In an ideal situation, she should be able to get along with others without using "language," sign or otherwise.

She's already kind of past that age where she should be learning this stuff.

And it appears to me that in a "controlled setting," such as a Girl Scout troop, her learning how to communicate, how to get along with others, is a good place to learn such things.

Now, there's no such thing as an "ideal situation," a perfect situation, but there is such a thing as an "okay situation."

Sign or any other deaf language is fine, sometimes invaluable, but it could end up being a crutch.

[Zeus]

I agree Frank.

Deaf from birth a 12 yr old should be signing like it's second nature. If she can't it's no ones fault but the parents. Expecting others to makeup for the parents shortcomings or unwillingness to see to their child's needs is beyond the pale.

[BigTex]

The "War on Women" is alive and well in the Girl Scouts of America.

How exactly is this a war on women? its woman vs woman, thats a catfight

[Gina]

I am sorry but I really hate it when 1 person spoils it for a bunch of people. 

[CactusCarlos]

How exactly is this a war on women? its woman vs woman, thats a catfight

In the media we are constantly hearing about how we're waging a war on women ("The GOP war on women continues"), yet here we have The Girl Scouts of America (a leftist organization) clearly "waging war" against one of their own.  

[JohnnyReb]

MY GOD! Give the girl a pencil and a pad and turn her loose....she can read and write can't she?

Sheeesh, some people just want to cause trouble.

[BigTex]

In the media we are constantly hearing about how we're waging a war on women ("The GOP war on women continues"), yet here we have The Girl Scouts of America (a leftist organization) clearly "waging war" against one of their own.  

I get the reference, I was just saying I dont think it applies, even jokingly, to a woman v woman conflict without any specific political ties.

[vesta111]

I agree Frank.

Deaf from birth a 12 yr old should be signing like it's second nature. If she can't it's no ones fault but the parents. Expecting others to makeup for the parents shortcomings or unwillingness to see to their child's needs is beyond the pale.

Disagree Zeus, this was a time for teaching to work for badges for the kids she was in the Scouts with.

How did the Girl Scouts miss this, as the kindergarten learned sign language, why were not the girls and leader also learning how to communicate with HER ????

This is not like this one child will be the only deaf person they will meet in their lives.   Darn there are badges for learning to horse and dog whisper, badges for learning in interpret what an infant is telling us through body movements, or lack of them.

The parents Zeus seem to have taught her sign language to use with family, but now what with the rest of the world that has no knowledge of it ????

This is a little girl Zeus and she will be taught to read lips and speak in the next few years.

The Girl Scouts really fell down on this one, a chance to teach a form of communication to others that did not have hearing.

Any idea Zeus how many young girls went through Scouting in the years that this child was there that could have been taught sign language to speak with her ?????  Not just her but as they grow up others that are deaf ???

Not often that one person can come along and make a difference in others lives, this child with a small disability could have done so had the potential of her gift been recognised.

[Zeus]

Disagree Zeus, this was a time for teaching to work for badges for the kids she was in the Scouts with.

How did the Girl Scouts miss this, as the kindergarten learned sign language, why were not the girls and leader also learning how to communicate with HER ????

This is not like this one child will be the only deaf person they will meet in their lives.   Darn there are badges for learning to horse and dog whisper, badges for learning in interpret what an infant is telling us through body movements, or lack of them.

The parents Zeus seem to have taught her sign language to use with family, but now what with the rest of the world that has no knowledge of it ????

This is a little girl Zeus and she will be taught to read lips and speak in the next few years.

The Girl Scouts really fell down on this one, a chance to teach a form of communication to others that did not have hearing.

Any idea Zeus how many young girls went through Scouting in the years that this child was there that could have been taught sign language to speak with her ?????  Not just her but as they grow up others that are deaf ???

Not often that one person can come along and make a difference in others lives, this child with a small disability could have done so had the potential of her gift been recognised.

The Troop disbanded. It wasn't just some poor little deaf girl left out in the "cold" but an entire troop.

[vesta111]

The Troop disbanded. It wasn't just some poor little deaf girl left out in the "cold" but an entire troop.

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According to the lawsuit, the leaders later told Runnion that the troop was disbanded because the Girl Scouts placed too many restrictions on what the troop could do because of the cost of an interpreter.

Runnion said she later learned from the Girl Scouts that the group would pay only a maximum of $50 a month for support services for girls with special needs. Megan's family would have to pick up the added expense.
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Money is the problem here.-------I see no reason the Troop was responsible to supply a translater for the child in the first place. 

The Troop could have as I mentioned used this as a learning experience for ALL the girls in the troop and enriched all their lives. Made the girls special as they could not only speak to the child but each other and  get other girls interested in Scouting.   [Nothing gets girls interest up as to belong to an excluseive club.]   Join the Scouts be one of us.

Parents do seem to be a bit over bearing in this, this is not a public school that most likely will not pay for the child to be followed about all day by a translater in school. 

So I put the blame on the high up that tell the leaders what to teach and were too sort sighted to realise the benefit All could get from instead of paying someone $50.00 an hour to help just one child but to pay them to teach all the Troop this form of communition for say 6 months and teach them how to teach others.  Instead the Scouts paid someone $50.00 an hour for Years to benefit just one child.

Each child that goes into scouting has some kind of unique talent or disability that can be used for the benefit of all.  The Leaders are teachers themselves and know their Scouts much better then some big wig sitting in a high rise building 2,000 miles away expecting all the leaders to teach the same thing.

I call bull on this, the Child should never have gotten a translater in the first place and the parents that refused to pull their share of the expense and had the nerve to Sue the Scouts for not giving preferable treatment to their child at the expense of the other children, LIBERALS. 

[seahorse513]

There is something wrong with this picture. Why on God's green earth is the Girl Scouts paying for interpreter?.If this girl was legally deaf, she would be on disability. She would be going to a special school for the deaf, the state would pay for interpreter if she needed one. and why doesn't the mother know sign language, and be a troop leader??

[vesta111]

There is something wrong with this picture. Why on God's green earth is the Girl Scouts paying for interpreter?.If this girl was legally deaf, she would be on disability. She would be going to a special school for the deaf, the state would pay for interpreter if she needed one. and why doesn't the mother know sign language, and be a troop leader??

   ^5.

It is easy to see why you are headed up the ladder at your work, good analyse and excellent critical thinking.

[CactusCarlos]

  ^5.

It is easy to see why you are headed up the ladder at your work, good analyse and excellent critical thinking.

What a nice thing to say, Vesta!  I gave you an H5 for that. 

[MrsSmith]

There is something wrong with this picture. Why on God's green earth is the Girl Scouts paying for interpreter?.If this girl was legally deaf, she would be on disability. She would be going to a special school for the deaf, the state would pay for interpreter if she needed one. and why doesn't the mother know sign language, and be a troop leader??

"and why doesn't the mother know sign language, and be a troop leader??'   Exactly!!

[JohnnyReb]

"and why doesn't the mother know sign language, and be a troop leader??'   Exactly!!

Because Mom is to busy working for the Obama campaign.

Hell, the taxpayers are stuck with feeding kids at school free brakfast, lunch, afterschool snacks, healthcare for them and mom, housing, foodstamps, etc.. All the problems of the world have been shifted onto the backs of the taxpayers. No one is supposed to take care of their own problems any more. It's all your fault and responseability now....except when it's Bush's fault.