The family of an HIV-positive student denied admission to a Pennsylvania private school will receive a $700,000 settlement as part of an agreement reached in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The 14-year-old boy, who went by the name “Abraham Smith” in court documents, was turned away from the Milton Hershey School after officials there learned he had HIV. School officials argued that the virus was a communicable disease that posed a risk to the health of other students.
The mother of the student sued the school, located in Hershey, Pa., in federal court last year. She argued that denying her son admission violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. She has since decided not to enroll him in the school.
As part of the settlement, the mother agreed to drop all legal actions against the school. School officials also agreed to pay the federal government $15,000 in exchange for avoiding civil penalties.
