Hey Guys, I need HELP AGAIN>>>>

[mjh341]

My 15 year old sister is in the band in our local high school. She is an insulin dependent diabetic on pump therapy. Last week she missed 2 after school band practices because of an unrinary tract infection that sent her blood sugar over 500. With blood sugars over 500 she could not march or attend school. She needed constant monitoring and multiple insulin boluses, not to mention doctor appointments. After 2 days she was well enough to once again attend school. She had doctors notes for the 2 absences. In the band handbook it states if a student misses 2 practices, they will not be able to perform in 1 performance. The following Saturday the band had a parade and a festival. My sister did not perform in the parade. That was the 1 performance she was required to miss. She did perform in the festival. While she was sick the band added a new song and footwork to their performance. My sister knows the music, but not the footwork. She asked the band director for help with the footwork and he told her to stand on the sidelines of Thursdays practice(Thursday was her first day back). Monday of this week was another practice. My sister was there. The band director once again would not help her, so the drum major tried. She practiced again on Tuesday. On Thursday she was so upset about her performance she was throwing up, but went to band practice. The band director would not help her again. Before every football game every band member has to performa pass off, which is a song from their halftime routine. My sisters section leader refused to listen to hers. So my sister played for the director. She passed. On Friday morinig(the day of the football game) my parents receive a call from the guidence counselor, that the band director and other members of ther band have concerns about my sisters health. My parents think, Oh, how nice, they are worried about her. So the counselor sets up a meeting between her, my parents, the school nurse, the band director, and the vice principle. When my parents get there, the band director tells them my sister can not march in the half time show because she doesn't know the footwork. He states she can play in the stands, but not on the field, My Mom asked why he wouldn't help my sister when she asked for it and he stated because he couldn't stop the rest of the band for her. The director got mad. He stated 25 members of the band had told him my sister had drank a sweet Coke before band practice. This is a lie. The reason I know this is because 1-Coke makes my sister vomit...always has. 2-The director stated the students even reported what time she drank it 3:15 to 3:45. My parents pick her up daily and she is not late and never had a can in her hand. Now on the off chance my sister did lie and say she did not have a Coke when she actually did, big deal, she has an insulin pump, and as long as she takes enough insulin to cover the carbs in the Coke it will not hurt her. I am not saying she should constantly be eating something sweet. She SHOULD NOT. But being a teenegaer she does not want to be different from everybody else and the pump can safely allow her to "cheat" every now and again. Well, finally the band director said he was afraid my sister would get hurt on the field, so my parents agreed to her not marching. At half time the band got and moved to the football field to perform. According to the school distirct rules NO BAND MEMBER is to ever be unchaperoned. My sister also has an IEP which states she is not to be left alone because the pump is very new to her and the doctors said it is still very easy for her bloodsugar to drop too low and she can not feel it. They left her completely alone and were more than 200 yards away. I just happened to walk across the stadium and see her by herself. As is turns out she was ok, except for being embarrased because she was not allowed to perform. My problem the band, band boosters(all chaperones are band boosters) and band teachers are under the supervision of the band director. He knew he was NOT going to let my sister march, but he did not make sure some one was with her, nor did he give her permission to sit with us. Do you all think this is a case of discrimination? Please tell me what you think, but please do not flame me. I only want to protect my sister.

[kimp67]

Yep, what Raven said! Good Luck!

[DAVESBABYDOLL]

I agree with Raven also~

[christianw27]

FIRST let me say, I am a diabetic too, I know just how this feels BUT, they didn't have any business leaving her by herself, and second i would be raising some HE@@ over the way they treated her. Just because she is a diabetic doesn't mean she should be kept from having the same experience as everyone else.

[tsquared]

Me Three

[mjh341]

Thanks so much for the support. I felt it was discremination, but because it was my baby sister, I wanted honest opinions. I am also a diabetic. Have been for 32 years and I have never benn treated this way.

[ckerr4]

If the reason that he treated her like this is because of her condition, then yes, it is discrimination. Of course you're overprotective (:D), but you've every right to be, and in this case, your feelings are not overclouding your judgement.

The principal even questioned the director - he should be held accountable to the administrators' authority. Don't let it slide by.

Good luck.

[Unicornmom77]

i agree, good luck hun!

[cinnamonch]

Make sure your parents put everything in writing to the band director regarding what is going on with your sister and have the cc the principal and the school board. Also make sure everything is being documented as a far as when she misses practice, sits out performances, etc.

As a band parent, none of the children we are responsible is ever without a chaperone from the time they hit the school building on game day or whatever until the time every child has been picked up. Not only that, every chaperone is made aware of any type of medical problems a child may have so that we will know what to expect.

[Dolly<3]

Originally posted by mjh341
When my parents get there, the band director tells them my sister can not march in the half time show because she doesn't know the footwork. He states she can play in the stands, but not on the field, My Mom asked why he wouldn't help my sister when she asked for it and he stated because he couldn't stop the rest of the band for her. The vice priciple asked why he couldn't work with the band and the assistant director work with my sister, she did after all have a medical reason and doctor excuse to be absence and had missed the required 1 performance. The director got mad. He stated 25 members of the band had told him my sister had drank a sweet Coke before band practice. This is a lie.

What does her (MAYBE) having a coke have to do with him teaching her the steps? Because she gets sick when she drinks a coke, and she knows that, it's not excusable for her to miss band practice from being sick? She's a kid!! I suppose if one of the boys had gone skateboarding w/o a helmet and been hospitalized for a concussion for a few days, he wouldn't be let catch up either.

He can't punish her like that - it's not his place. Her absence was excused and that's ALL he should base anything on.

It sounds like he's annoyed by having to spend extra time with her, and unless he makes sure EVERY excusable absence wasn't the kids fault, then I think it's discrimination.

[suziebee20]

It sounds like the band director wants to uphold the rule, but, that's no excuse to not help your sister learn the footwork and stuff. Or to leave her unsupervised while they were going down to the field. I've done guard for two years and band for one... we have the same thing set up at our school 2 misses and you miss a performance, or if you miss a Friday you're out. The rule is set in place because it's unfair to the students who work hard and are there every day to learn. But if the band director knows that she has a condition that will make her miss days, he should try to arrange times for her to learn things when she can be there. Seems like he doesn't want to take time to help her like he should be doing, and it's sad her section leader didn't want to listen to her. While I personally think the 2 misses rule should be upheld, but I don't think the band director is doing his job to help her succeede if he isn't giving her a chance to catch up. I hope everything works out.

[mjh341]

I also agree the 2 practice missed rule should stand. Even though it was not her fault, it is also not the fault of the students who were there and worked hard to learn the routine. I agree with Suziebee. It is the band directors place to teach her. The band director told my folks today he is going to call another meeting on Wednesday(the kids are out of school until Wednesday for teacher workdays) My parents told him they would be happy to attend. They also told him the tension between them needs to be worked out so my sister can march and they can trust him to be with my sister when they are not. This is my sisters 2nd year in the band and nothing like this ever happened last year. She is not the only diabetic in the band. There are 2 more, but they were not out the 2 practices my sister was. We also have hypoglcomics, asthma patients, and a child in a wheel chair, 3 children who are allergic to bee stings, and one whose heart falters and she passes out. It may be that the band director is overwhelmed. It is ALOT for anyone to handle. I know he is only human, but I do not like him singling my sister out. In a couple of years my daughter will be in the band and she has had a heart transplant, I wonder what will happen then. Oh by the way, I have been asked to attend the meeting because I was not a chaperone Friday night and I sat with my sister in the stands. No one had better get smart with me about it. I know technically I broke the rules, but I am NOT sorry for it.