NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Metro Nashville Public Schools will modify its policies for students with diabetes as part of a settlement agreement related to allegations the district violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.

According to a Tuesday press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, a 3-year-old student at Ross Early Learning Center had Type 1 Diabetes and was prescribed a continuous glucose monitor. Per the UASO, the student's parents requested the school and the school nurse monitor the device while the child was in school or at school-sponsored activities, but the school refused the request—in part.

The partial refusal required the parents and child to be responsible for monitoring the device in the afternoons when the nurse left the school. The school also allegedly told the parents they could provide a device for the school to monitor the glucose monitor, which the parents provided. Later, though, Ross allegedly told the parents it could not use the device provided and could only communicate by phone calls or password-protected emails during school hours.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said the parents then withdrew the child from school for a month. Afterwards, the child returned for a half-day in the morning because the nurse left the school after lunch.

Both Ross and MNPS agreed to modify the district's policies, practices and/or procedures to allow the use of continuous glucose monitors by students diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and who are prescribed the devices. Additionally, the new policies will allow the purchase or use of existing MNPS equipment to monitor alerts provided by the glucose monitor. They also agreed to provide trained staff in the MNPS school attended by the student to have a cellphone or other device to more efficiently communicate about the glucose monitor during school hours.

The district's policies and procedures will be updated to ensure appropriate trained staff members and school nurses monitor alerts from the continuous glucose monitor to a dedicated receiver, tablet or smartphone app or other technology during the school day. All of these respective updated policies and procedures will be made public under the district's "Policies and Procedures" tab on the website.

As part of the resolution, MNPS agreed to pay the complainants $1,000.

Metro Schools takes the health and safety of our students seriously, and we appreciate the opportunity this process provided to review and strengthen our policies and training related to continuous glucose monitoring for students with Type 1 Diabetes. When the issue was brought to our attention, we cooperated fully with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to resolve the matter quickly and voluntarily. The resolution allowed us to clarify procedures, enhance staff training, and ensure that our practices align with the needs of students and families. Ultimately, this was a specific situation involving one student, and it did not reflect a broader systemic issue in our schools.

Statement from MNPS

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/mnps-agrees-to-modify-policies-for-students-with-type-1-diabetes-after-doj-complaint/