Posted on 05/12/2008 2:33:46 PM PDT by radar101
Tyler Hurd, a 23-year-old junior at SCSU, hopes to be a special education teacher.
Hurd spent the past month at Technical High School in St. Cloud, working toward completing the 50 hours of secondary field placement required to earn his teaching license.
But student teaching, along with many other aspects of daily life, is not always simple for Hurd.
When Hurd was 14, he sustained a head injury while playing hockey. The injury resulted in epilepsy, a neurological disorder causing chronic seizures.
Because a seizure can take place at any moment, Hurd was matched with Emmitt, a 2 and a half-year-old black Labrador retriever, trained in seizure response.
Emmitt's $7,000 worth of training allows him the ability to know the difference between left and right, to open and close doors, turn lights on and off, and most importantly, he knows to stay with Hurd in the event of a seizure.
"He became my independence," Hurd said.
Because of the severity of Hurd's disorder, he brings Emmitt everywhere, including Tech High School, where he did his student teaching.
Tech High School has a large Somali population, most of whom are Muslim.
Hurd quickly began to notice many Somali students reacted with extreme fear and even disdain toward Emmitt.
According to Abdirahman Muhumed, program assistant at La Cruz Community Program, it can be difficult for Somali immigrants to adjust to America's love for dogs.
This is because within the Muslim faith, it is considered unclean to touch one. In fact, it is forbidden.
"You have to wash your hands seven times with water, soap and sand,"
He explained that Emmit is highly trained to stay near him at all times. Furthermore, he let them know that under no circumstance would Emmit approach them. Emmit's focus is solely on Hurd.
Though Hurd's students quickly became accustomed to Emmit's presence, the rest of the school's student population was not informed of the dog's purpose.
Hurd said he soon began to notice animosity from students outside his classroom.
He witnessed students scream, run from, taunt and antagonize Emmitt. Hurd resorted to entering and leaving his class while the halls were empty, to minimize the chaos.
Last week, the situation came to a head when one of Hurd's students notified him of a threat.
"He told me there was a group of Somali students who wanted to beat and kill my dog," Hurd said.
Yet threats like these are against the Muslim faith, and Muhumed said it is likely a case of adolescent immaturity.
"Our religion is not allowed to kill a dog," Muhumed said. "That is forbidden."
Yet due to the nature of the threat, Hurd reported the incident to the assistant principal, Lori Lockhart.
"It was two days before she got back to me," Hurd said.
But concerning the incident, Lockhart said no threats were made.
"It was kind of a misunderstanding," Lockhart said.
According to Lockhart, the Tech student only meant that some Somali's don't like dogs and may want to hurt them.
Yet Hurd feels the whole situation was mismanaged.
He said Lockhart agreed to send an email to teachers alerting them of the incident and asking them to notify her of any threats they may be aware of.
According to Hurd, however, the email was never sent.
Hurd has since quit his field placement at Tech because he feels unsafe.
"I am not there because I don't want anything to happen to Emmitt-I feel threatened," Hurd said.
St. Cloud State has waived the remaining 15 hours of student teaching Hurd has yet to complete due to the circumstances.
Whether the administration at Tech High School feels they could have done more to educate their students about the purpose of service dogs is yet to be confirmed.
"We have a strong working relationship with the public schools," said Kate Steffens, dean in the college of education.
Steffens said she plans to set up a meeting with both the principal and vice principal of Tech High School in an attempt to come up with solutions.
"We want a win-win situation," Steffens said.
Yet Hurd feels it all may be a little too late.
"Because he's seizure response, he has a right to be anywhere I go," Hurd said. "To be threatened in public is a disability rights issue."
No, you do. Try washing your heads that way. God, these people make me sick.
Where have you been and what an adorable pup.
On the whole, I prefer the company of dogs
Isn’t it telling how liberals’ pet causes continually morph and shift place in the priority queue? Liberals led the charge to “protect” the disabled and, like everything they do, this protection has grown to absurd levels. (See the story about the guy in the wheelchair who sued because he couldn’t ride a ski lift or some such.)
Now, however, when a genuinely disabled American is confronted by Muslim immigrants, there is NO doubt as to which side liberals will choose. This is of course despite all their professed hostility for any religious overtones in schools; we all know that this hostility is actually focused exclusively on the Judeo-Christian God.
It must be really confusing for liberals to keep up with what their current marching orders are.
MM
ANY dog who loves you will come to your defense.
My little 45 pound Chocolate Lab is a fully trained obedience, agility, and retrieving dog with a wall full of ribbons and titles. Sweet as pie, loves people, but takes no guff off anybody (including the black pup). Anyone who looks like they might intend me harm finds a little demon in their path.
We were out walking and met a loose pit bull who started stalking us. She turned, got between the dog and me, lowered her head, lifted all her hackles, and just rumbled at the dog, way down in her chest. He decided that he just didn't want to face a crazy Lab, and turned around and left.
On the other hand, we met a fellow with a half full bottle of whisky and a pit bull puppy named Trouble . . . . but he was at the happy drunk stage, and Trouble approached my girls very humbly, tail down and puppy bowing. They are now the best of friends and there is much kissing and tail wagging when we meet.
I agree wholeheartedly. This diversity crap has got to stop.
This is our country. Either they accept our culture of freedom, or they can go back to their third-world armpits.
I prefer the latter.
Dhimmi watch: Muslim chases service animal out of (American!) school
Another (earlier) thread/opportunity to let the CAIR moles know what most of us think about their goat-humpin' Mo
Sorry Muhumed, but I'm not persuaded that you are correct on this point. American servicemen in Iraq (& other Islamic countries) have observed Muslims throwing rocks at dogs (strays, I presume) in their villages.
Isn't she a cutie? She's field bred, and HYPER is not the word for her. But she's a retrieving fool.
Either get with the AMERICAN way of life or go back home!
Of course, in their country, this epileptic kid would also be ostracized as unclean, possessed or something, and begging on the streetcorner. What an advanced mindset!
I think some dogs have and ESP about human health problems - we seem to have a dog that knows when men have prostate cancer - no, I’m not kidding. (long story)
I’m not an expert on dog breeds, but IIRC, there’s only one recognized
“registered” breed of dog from The Middle East, the Canaan Dog.
After reading this article, it comes as no shock that it’s also know
as the Israeli Canaan Dog.
I guess the Islamics/Palis took care of all the rest long ago.
(Funny, I’ve never heard PETA/Ms. Newkirk complain about a “dog
holocaust in the Islamic world of The Middle East.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canaan_Dog
He should have taken his patronage to a school that would actually stand up for him and kick the bigots out.
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