School allergies now human rights issue

An update to a story we first told you about in September.  Hamilton mother Lynne Glover pulled her six-year old daughter out of school over concerns the board wasn’t doing enough to accommodate her life-threatening allergies to milk and eggs. Now, Glover is taking things one step further.

Glover has now filed a human rights complaint against Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Elementary. She wants to see milk and eggs banned so her daughter can go back to class.

Instead of learning in a classroom with kids her own age, the Hamilton Wentworth Catholic District School Board has been sending a teacher to Elodie Glover’s home for an hour each morning to help her keep up with the curriculum. All because the six-year old has severe anaphylactic allergies to dairy and eggs.

Lynne Glover is Elodie’s Mother: “We took her out of the school. We put her back in.”

Lynne says they were told parents were sent a note asking them to refrain from bringing Elodie’s allergens into the classroom: “We know there was a teacher who was sitting with her to make sure things were under control. But there were still constantly allergens coming into the classroom and we were not comfortable at all.”

Despite the efforts, Elodie was still experiencing allergic reactions and left school a couple times with respiratory issues. Glover wants to see her daughter back in the classroom and has now filed a human rights complaint.

Lynne says: “We weren’t getting anywhere board. This is our attempt to get the board to sit down with us and come up with a plan that best suits Elodie and protects her dignity.”

The Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board says they’re unable to comment on the case now that it’s before the Human Rights Tribunal, but in the past they have told us that they do their best to make sure school is as safe as possible.”

McMaster Children’s Hospital Allergist Dr. Paul Keith says cow’s milk and egg allergies can be life threatening: “Usually you can have symptoms particularity if you touch it to the skin. But usually you have to ingest it and that’s why if you have an anaphylactic child you really have to prepare them to not put things in their mouth if you’re not sure where it was.”

Keith says, under Sabrina’s Law, there are guidelines for school boards to try to deal with anaphylactic children: But every case is special and you have to design a program that is special for each individual child and that’s why we leave it to the school board to decide.”

Since we first met Elodie, she’s grown out of a fish allergy. But her family has been told that her other allergies are so severe it’s not likely the same will happen with milk and eggs. Glover says eventually, she expects her case to go to mediation. If that fails, then it will go to tribunal.