A dedicated person is taking extraordinary steps to protect his right to become a physical education teacher.
According to Detroit News, 400-pound man David Lopez is suing his former university for denying him the opportunity to earn a certification as a gym teacher.
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A 44-year-old man who completed his physical education kinesiology program successfully claims that Wayne State University in Michigan is discriminating against him because of his weight.
“They don’t think I fit the description of what a PE teacher was because I’m very overweight,” Lopez told the newspaper.
Because of my size and weight, they didn’t think I was a suitable gym teacher, so they didn’t want me to receive my certification.
“There’s no doubt that was the reason why. There was no other reason. I passed everything.”
According to the lawsuit, Lopez suffers from diabetes, hypertension, and asthma, which prevent him from standing for long periods of time.
Lopez’s doctor sent him a letter requesting accommodations during his teacher preparation program the previous year. In the letter, Lopez asked for approval to instruct students virtually at Dearborn Public Schools.
He persisted in trying to enroll in the teaching program, but the university denied him.
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“All I’d asked for was accommodations, virtual or through physical accommodations inside a classroom,” Lopez said. “The school I was at was willing to give me a virtual setting, but Wayne State was not.”
Despite the fact that his requests for accommodations were turned down, Lopez maintains that he successfully finished the first part of his student training at Wayne State University. Later on, though, he was told by university officials that he would not be able to complete his training.
He says he can’t finish the entire training program because of the circumstances.
“It got to the point where I had no other choice left,” Lopez said. “I left with no degree, no certification, no nothing.”
In order to get his teaching certificate and be reinstated in the course, Lopez views the lawsuit as his last option.
“Suing the school was my last option,” he explained. “I didn’t want to do it, but I’m doing it because I have nothing, and I have no way to earn a living now because they took away my opportunity to get a degree. All I asked for was a reasonable accommodation.”
Detroit News claims that Wayne State University has asked for the lawsuit against it to be dismissed, calling it “frivolous”.
