Colman Chadam is an 11-year-old boy in Palo Alto,
California. In October of this
year, though, he was ordered to transfer to another school
after school officials
realized he carried the gene for Cystic Fibrosis. Chadam
doesn’t actually have the
disease, nor has he exhibited any symptoms for it.
Chadam’s parents had listed his condition on a medical form
for the school as a
precaution, as the disease, though non-contagious, is
incurable and life threatening.
If two people with the disease are in close contact, though,
it can pose a threat to
their health. Two other students at the school do have the
disease, so when officials
discovered that Chadam also carried the gene they told him
he’d have to transfer to
prevent cross-contamination.
“I was sad but at the same time I was mad because I
understood that I hadn’t done
anything wrong,” he told TODAY after the incident occurred.
“It feels like I’m being
bullied in a way that is not right.”
And as it turns out, he’s absolutely right. Chadam’s parents
took the issue to court,
and after over two weeks of missed school, the district
agreed to a settlement that
reversed the order. Instead of Chadam being forced to attend
a different school, he
is being allowed back at his old one. Officials there are
working to enforce measures
to prevent cross-contamination, including switching some of
Chadam’s teachers and
classes around to avoid contact with the other two students.
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