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Parent tells school board therapy dog violated student’s 504 accommodation
Summary
At the Davenport Community School District board meeting, two parents said a therapy dog program failed to honor a student’s 504 plan, including an incident May 18 when the dog entered hallways during passing time. They requested consistent compliance, accountability and clearer communication.
Kim Brewster and parent Felicia Shears told the Davenport Community School District board during public comment that a school therapy dog program has not followed a student’s 504 accommodation and asked the district to ensure accountability and consistent communication.
"The school district... chose a dog over a student," Kim Brewster said, describing the emotional toll and saying two other families had similar concerns. She asked the district to enforce accommodations and improve communication.
Felicia Shears, identified as a parent of a district student, said a 504 accommodation specifies that the therapy dog "should not be present during passing times in shared hallways." Shears said a May 18 classroom-to-classroom passing-time recording shows the therapy dog in a hallway, that the dog was not under the handler’s control and that the dog approached her child. "My concern is with ensuring the accommodations and safety plans are followed constantly and that all students can safely access their educational environment," she said, and asked the board for consistent compliance going forward.
Brewster said she had been told the dog would not be in the schools next year and offered to share a recording of district staff comments about the program’s necessity.
Board members thanked the speakers for coming forward. Director Yankee said she heard the concerns and that the board listens to public comment. No formal action was taken during the meeting; open forum rules noted that the board will not act on items not published on the meeting agenda because of Iowa open meeting law.
Next steps were not specified on the record; speakers asked for clearer communications and consistent implementation of 504 accommodations.
