Puerto Rican Student Sues Hartford Board of Education After Being Passed Through School Without Learning to Read
A Puerto Rican woman is suing the Hartford Board of Education and the City of Hartford for negligence. Aleysha Ortiz alleges that she graduated high school with honors and received a scholarship to the University of Connecticut. The issue is that she can’t read or write. Alleging negligence from multiple officials, Ortiz is suing for $3 million in damages.
Aleysha Ortiz is suing after she was passed without learning how to read or write
According to Ortiz, she was never taught how to read or write. She claims teachers made her sit in a corner or nap in her earlier education instead of teaching her. She relied on talk-to-text features to write essays and read things for school.
Now, as a college student, Ortiz says she is watching her dreams get taken from her. She blames the Hartford Board of Education. According to an interview with CNN, Ortiz’s mother, Carmen Cruz, tried to advocate for her daughter. Seeing her daughter fall behind bothered Cruz. She tried her best to demand better for Ortiz. Yet, Ortiz acknowledges that Cruz struggles with English. The language barrier left the family unsatisfied with the education Ortiz was receiving.
“She advocated so much,” Ortiz told CNN. “She went to the school. The principal promised her that it would be better. Sometimes, it would be people from the district or the directors promising her they would do better.”
Ortiz’s lawsuit alleges that nothing was done to help despite the acknowledgment of her learning disability
According to KOLD, the school acknowledged that Ortiz has a learning disability in multiple grades. Yet, with that information, no additional resources were allegedly made available to help. Instead, Ortiz claims she would start every school year by warning teachers that she isn’t able to read or write. Instead of being taught, she would ask for patience as she struggled.
Ortiz is suing the Hartford Board of Education and the City of Hartford for $3 million. The lawsuit alleges that the educational system forced her through elementary and middle school. According to First Post, Ortiz claims that she was passed through elementary and middle school. In high school, she started using talk-to-text and other apps to read and write for herself.
An American Dream dashed due to lack of resources
Ortiz moved to Connecticut when she was five years old. Her mother moved out of Puerto Rico, hoping to find what her daughter needed. The family left Puerto Rico and relocated to Connecticut, looking for help. Instead, Ortiz managed to slip through the cracks, which has left her ill-equipped to compete in college.
“My time in Hartford Public Schools was a time that I don’t wish upon anyone,” Ortiz told News8.
Ortiz also included Tilda Santiago in her lawsuit. Santiago was her special education case manager, who Ortiz alleges did little to help her. Ortiz claims that Santiago would “yell at, belittle, and humiliate [Ortiz] in front of other students and teachers.”
